Embedded heat exchanger for heating, ventilatiion, and air conditioning (hvac) systems and methods

ABSTRACT

A zone-control unit for use in a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the zone-control unit includes a heat exchanger, an inlet piping assembly coupled with the heat exchanger for supplying fluid to the heat exchanger, an outlet piping assembly coupled with the heat exchanger for receiving fluid from the heat exchanger, a bracket that maintains the inlet piping assembly and the outlet piping assembly in positional relationship, and an ancillary component coupled with the heat exchanger.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a nonprovisional of, and claims the benefit ofpriority from, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/884,366 filedJan. 10, 2007 (Attorney Docket No. 025920-000600US). This application isrelated to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/429,418 filed May 5, 2006(Attorney Docket No. 025920-000120US), U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/180,310 filed Jul. 12, 2005 (Attorney Docket No. 025920-000210US),U.S. Pat. No. 6,951,324 (Attorney Docket No. 025920-000200US), U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/857,211 filed May 24, 2004 (AttorneyDocket No. 025920-000300US), U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/567,301filed Dec. 6, 2006 (Attorney Docket No. 025920-000310US), U.S. Pat. No.7,140,236 (Attorney Docket No. 025920-000400US), U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/560,294 filed Nov. 15, 2006 (Attorney Docket No.025920-000410US), U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/619,535 filed Jan.3, 2007 (Attorney Docket No. 025920-000510US), and U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/092,933 filed Sep. 11, 2003. The entire contentsof each of these applications and their priority filings areincorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention relate to integrated heating,ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and methods, and inparticular to approaches that include embedded coils and other heatexchangers.

In general, HVAC systems control the temperature and humidity of indoorair. In most HVAC systems, air is drawn in, filtered, cooled anddehumidified or heated and humidified, and then delivered to an airconditioned space. The greatest portion of incoming air is drawn fromthe air conditioned space for recirculation through the HVAC system.HVAC system includes fans and ductwork for moving conditioned air towhere it is needed while passing it through cooling and/or a heatingsections of the ductwork.

HVAC systems in residential, commercial, education and researchbuildings usually include metallic pipes, hollow composite materialssuch as tubes, and the like. The systems are typically supported fromand between floor or ceiling joists. The HVAC system typically includesa primary or main duct. A series of smaller branch ducts which extendfrom the main duct are mounted between adjacent floor or ceiling joists.Such main and branch ducts are normally supported by metal hangerslocated between the joists. Often the branch ducts include pipes andconduit lines for transporting liquid or gas which are suspended fromceiling joists or an adjacent wall typically with Unistrut®, threadedrod, couplings, and various hanger brackets.

Piping and conduits that supply gas and/or liquids within buildingsbenefit from careful preparation. Builders or contractors typically useladders or scaffolding to reach areas where piping is routed soinstallation may be cumbersome. Occasionally the pipe or conduits areprepared on the ground and installed by ladder as more completeassemblies. Pipe and conduit assemblies prepared on the ground or afloor of a building under construction are more unwieldy than theunassembled components, but pre-assembly is often more practical.Furthermore, conditions existing at construction sites and the number ofdiffering types of components used in assembling a HVAC system rendercataloging known HVAC components a challenge.

Generically, a terminal unit, also sometimes referred to as an airhandling unit, is a HVAC system component that is located near an airconditioned space that regulates the temperature and/or volume of airsupplied to the space. When providing air to a more critical environmentsuch as a laboratory, an almost identical ductwork section is frequentlyreferred to as a lab valve damper rather than as a terminal unit, withthe distinction generally relating to the precision with which the unitcontrols the temperature and humidity of conditioned air. As usedthroughout this document, the phrase terminal unit encompasses either aterminal unit or a lab valve damper.

A HVAC system may be assembled using any one of several different typesof terminal units. Generally, the mechanical portion of a terminal unitincludes a casing through which air flows during operation of a HVACsystem. Accordingly, the casing includes an inlet for receiving air fromductwork of a HVAC system, and an outlet for supplying air to a space ina building. Casings are usually fabricated from 22 gauge galvanizedsheet steel. Due to the use of such light material, casings are easilydamaged during shipping to a building site and during installation intothe HVAC system. Those familiar with such damage to terminal unitcasings frequently refer to it as “oil canning” because it resembles howa light gauge oil can collapses as the liquid flows out.

In a typical hydronic (all-water) HVAC system, the mechanical portion ofa terminal unit includes a heat exchanging coil. Heated and/or cooledwater is pumped from a central plant through pipes to the coil. Air fromthe HVAC system's ductwork passes through the coil after entering andbefore leaving the casing. Usually, a single terminal unit is dedicatedfor heating and/or cooling each air conditioned space. Air from the ductconnected to the terminal unit passes through the coil to be heatedand/or cooled by water flowing through the coil before the air entersthe air conditioned space.

A Variable Air Volume (“VAV”) HVAC system, in response to a controlsignal from a thermostat or room sensor, supplies only that volume ofhot and/or cold air to an air conditioned space needed to satisfy thespace's thermal load. A VAV HVAC system meets changing cooling and/orheating requirements by adjusting the amount, rather than thetemperature, of air that flows to a space. For most buildings, a VAVHVAC system yields the best combination of comfort, first cost, and lifecycle cost.

A VAV terminal unit is a relatively complex assembly which includessheet metal, plumbing, electrical and pneumatic components. For example,a VAV terminal unit includes an airflow sensor that senses the velocityof air entering the terminal unit. To adjust the volume of cold air, aVAV terminal unit frequently includes a damper which automatically opensand closes as needed.

As a thermal load of a space decreases, the damper starts closingthereby reducing the amount of heated or cooled air supplied to thespace. Alternatively, the volume of air entering a space may becontrolled by varying the speed of a fan included in the terminal unit.For either type of VAV terminal unit, VAV HVAC systems save energyconsumed by fans in comparison with alternative HVAC systems bycontinually adjusting airflow to the heating and/or cooling required.

To be operable and fully-functional, terminal units for a hydronic HVACsystem often include a coil, ductwork for supplying air to the coil andreceiving air from the coil, plumbing for supplying water into andreceiving water from the coil, and a control valve for regulating theamount of water flowing through the coil.

To match the flow of air through the terminal unit's ductwork to theprofile of the coil, the terminal unit's ductwork may include transitionsections both for air entering the coil and for air leaving the coil. Inaddition, a terminal unit may also include a re-heat coil, and/or asound attenuator. In a terminal unit adapted for use in a VAV HVACsystem, the terminal unit's ductwork may also include a damper and adamper actuator or variable speed fan for controlling the volume of airsupplied by the terminal unit, and an airflow sensor for sensing thevolume of air passing through the terminal unit.

Usually, all of the various parts needed to assemble a fully-functionalVAV HVAC system's terminal unit arrive at building construction sites asseparate components. Generally, these components are then assembled intoa fully functional terminal unit at the construction site. Due tocluttered working conditions usually existing at a construction sitewhere workers skilled in different crafts, e.g. plumbing, electrical,structural, etc., must concurrently collaborate to complete the buildingproject, assembling the various components into a fully functionalterminal unit may occupy the better part of a day. Furthermore, presentpractices and equipment are poorly adapted for swiftly constructing ahigh quality HVAC system that is easily commissioned.

For example, because it is less expensive to wire a HVAC system'sterminal units with 24 volt low voltage electrical power rather than 220or 110 volt power, presently sections of buildings include transformertrees which an electrician generally assembles by installing multiplestep down transformers on an electrical panel. This technique permitswiring 220 or 110 volt electrical power to the transformer tree on eachpanel, with the 24 volt low voltage electrical power then being wiredindividually from a transformer on the panel over distances of five (5)to one hundred (100) feet to a terminal units for energizing its DirectDigital Control (“DDC”) controller, and 2 way or 3 way automatictemperature control (“ATC”) control valve.

Usually, terminal units are supported from a building using anglebrackets, straps, or thread rod. Usually these support devices areattached directly to the terminal unit. Terminal unit casings areusually made using 22 gauge sheet metal. Due to the use of this lightmaterial, casings are easily dented or bent during installation.

With current construction site labor costing up to $80.00/hour or more,assembling a terminal unit at a construction site may cost $500.00 to$1,000.00 for labor alone. Furthermore, terminal units assembled at aconstruction site generally differ from one another due to assembly bydifferent craftsmen, and insufficient use of identical components inassembling each terminal unit. Due to conditions existing atconstruction sites and the number of differing types of components usedin assembling a HVAC system, cataloging the components used inassembling the system is impractical. Lastly, construction sitesgenerally lack any facilities for individually pre-testing buildingcomponents, such as terminal units, assembled on-site.

After assembling a HVAC system, it should be activated, tested andcommissioned to ensure IAQ. Testing a HVAC system only after it iscompletely assembled inevitably results in many hours of problem-solvingand leak-hunting. Usually, there are leaky joints, broken valves,damaged pipes, leaky coils and improperly assembled components that mustbe tracked down which further increases building costs. After finding afaulty component, it must be identified, ordered and replaced whichtakes time and delays completion of the building project. Furthermore,years after a building project is complete to maintain IAQ a buildingmanager responsible for the HVAC system's maintenance will often have toidentify and replace broken components.

The preceding considerations arising from construction site assembly offully functional terminal units slows construction, increase buildingcosts, requires rework when a terminal unit experiences an initialfailure, and ultimately makes more difficult and expensive maintaining abuilding's HVAC system years after those responsible for its assemblyare no longer available.

Current techniques for implementing HVAC systems often requiredancillary components such as flow controls, ATC valves, and the like tobe added to HVAC piping structures in the field or at a jobsiteconstruction location. Relatedly, such ancillary components, pipingstructures, and the like may be susceptible to damage during transport.What is needed are improved HVAC systems and methods that allow HVACcomponents to be configured prior to shipping, and to be shipped withoutrisk of damage. Embodiments of the present invention provide solutionsfor at least some of these needs.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention allow such ancillary components tobe attached with piping structures in a factory setting, prior toshipment to the installation site. Accordingly, these enhanced andimproved techniques are well suited for protecting ancillary HVAC systemcomponents from damage when they are attached with a piping structureduring transport. These protective features avoid the situation where amechanical contractor be compelled to charge a manufacturer due todamage incurred during shipping. Moreover, these techniques are verycost effective, as the pre-piping often does not have to comply withunion work requirements. Embodiments of the present invention provideefficient solutions to situations where, depending on jobspecifications, various piping arrangements and components may be neededon one project but not on another. Still further, labor performed in thefield is typically not depreciable. By providing techniques that can beperformed in the factory setting, coils and other ancillary componentscan be considered capital equipment, which renders them amenable tolease paybacks, lease financing, and the like.

Bracket embodiments of the present invention may be configured with orwithout a handle. In some cases, a bracket provides a protective planewhereby damage to HVAC ancillary components is avoided during shipping,handling, and transport. For example, a bracket may include a portionthat extends a certain distance, such as two to six inches, beyond agrommet or aperture, such that the bracket forms a plane or supportbarrier which prevents unwanted forces from impacting on a pipingstructure during transport. Another way of protecting the portablepiping structure is to build or provide a removable box around the coiland the portable piping structure. Such protective features make itpossible to embed valves, fittings, controls, sensors, processors,actuators, microchips, algorithmic devices, and other ancillarycomponents on a coil or heat exchanger prior to shipping. Exemplarycomponents also include digital devices, analog devices, anddigital/analog combination devices. Embodiments of the present inventioncan be used for or otherwise integrate VAV boxes, fan coil units, airhandling units, or any heating or cooling system or subsystem thereof.Any of a variety of HVAC ancillary components can be integrated with orembedded onto a coil or heat exchanger prior to shipping. Accordingly,these components can be installed on or coupled with a coil or pipingassembly in a factory setting, and can avoid sustaining damage duringsubsequent transport to a job installation site. In some cases, thecomponents may be coupled with the coil or heat exchanger. Similarly,the components may be coupled with an input piping that attaches withthe coil or heat exchanger, or with an output piping that attaches withthe coil or heat exchanger. Relatedly, ancillary components may becoupled with one or more brackets that are coupled with an input piping,or an output piping, or both.

In some embodiments, ancillary components may be embedded on a coil, andthe assembly may not include a zone control unit. For example, a leavingair temperature sensor can be coupled with a coil or a pipe. The coiland piping assembly may also include a damper with a pickup sensor, apressure sensor, and the like. Sensors may be coupled with a controller,such as a DDC controller, via a wired or wireless connection. The dampercan be installed upstream of the coil, and sealed. In an illustrativeexample, the desired ambient air temperature in a room is 70 degrees anda thermostat can be set accordingly. If the leaving air temperaturesensor detects air having a temperature of 69 degrees, an output signalcan be sent to the controller, and the controller may send a signal to avalve or actuator so that warmer air is provided to the room. If or whenthe leaving air temperature sensor detects air having a temperaturegreater than 70 degrees, the output signal causes the controller toadjust the actuator accordingly, so as to reduce the air temperature ofthe room. Feedback loops or systems can be incorporated into a building,a room, a subset or rooms, and the like. Control mechanisms can providefor accurate and efficient temperature control of a building orstructure, and can accommodate for doors and windows opening and closingwithin the building. These objectives can be achieved with a system thatdoes not include a balancing valve.

In some current methods, when a worker needs to couple a coil with aduct box or other ancillary component it is necessary to perform thisprocedure at the actual jobsite, and the components have to be installedin situ within the confines of building structure or the existing HVACsystem as it was built. Relatedly, in many current methods, an ancillarycomponent cannot be attached with a piping structure or coil prior totransport, due to concerns that the assembly would be damaged duringtransport. Consequently, conventional wisdom is that coils are typicallyrequired to be piped in the field. Advantageously, embodiments of thepresent invention allow a manufacturer or other entity to pre-pipe,pre-wire, pre-program, or otherwise prefabricate a coil or a heatexchanger with any desired ancillary component or piping assembly in afactory setting, prior to transport to a construction site. Accordingly,it is possible to test, calibrate, preset, tune, or otherwise evaluateor control any aspect of a coil assembly in the factory setting or in acentralized location. Such approaches provide a significant savings inlabor and installation time. Moreover, it may not be necessary tobalance or adjust a coil or ancillary components when they are installedin the field.

Still further, embodiments of the present invention therefore providefor self-balancing control of an HVAC system. In other words, a coilassembly may not include a balancing element, but instead may include anembedded ATC valve, for example. The ATC can be coupled with acontroller. In some cases, balancing elements can introduce additionalpressure into an HVAC system, and therefore the system may require morehorsepower for operation. By eliminating the need for a balancingelement, it is possible to provide a system that has a lower energyrequirement. Accordingly, the system may qualify for LEED points or animproved LEED rating (e.g. Leadership in Energy and Environmental DesignGreen Building Rating System™).

In one aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide azone-control unit for use in a heating, ventilation, and airconditioning (HVAC) system. The zone-control unit includes a heatexchanger, an inlet piping assembly coupled with the heat exchanger forsupplying fluid to the heat exchanger, an outlet piping assembly coupledwith the heat exchanger for receiving fluid from the heat exchanger, abracket that maintains the inlet piping assembly and the outlet pipingassembly in positional relationship, and an ancillary component coupledwith the heat exchanger.

In some cases, the ancillary component includes a direct digital control(DDC) controller. The ancillary component may be coupled with the heatexchanger. Optionally, the ancillary component may be coupled with thebracket. In some cases, the heat exchanger, the inlet piping, and theoutlet piping form a closed and sealed system. The heat exchanger, theinlet piping, and the outlet piping may contain a pressurized fluid.

Embodiments of the present invention encompass zone-control units foruse in a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Azone-control unit may include a casing, a coil disposed at leastpartially within the casing, an inlet piping assembly coupled with thecoil for supplying fluid to the coil, an outlet piping assembly coupledwith the coil for receiving fluid from the coil, and a bracket thatmaintains the casing, the inlet piping assembly, and the outlet pipingassembly in positional relationship. The zone-control unit may alsoinclude an ancillary component coupled with the coil, the bracket, orthe casing. In some cases, the ancillary component includes a directdigital control (DDC) controller. The ancillary component may be coupledwith the coil. Optionally, the ancillary component may be coupled withthe bracket. In some cases, the ancillary component is coupled with thecasing. The coil, the inlet piping, and the outlet piping may form aclosed and sealed system. The coil, the inlet piping, and the outletpiping may contain a pressurized fluid.

Embodiments of the present invention also include methods ofmanufacturing a plurality of portable piping structures. Exemplarymethods include providing a first heat exchange coil having a firstdimension, providing a second heat exchange coil having a seconddimension, coupling a first inlet piping assembly and a first outletpiping assembly with the first heat exchange coil to provide a firstportable piping structure of the plurality of portable pipingstructures, and coupling a second inlet piping assembly and a secondoutlet piping assembly with the second heat exchange coil to provide asecond portable piping structure of the plurality of portable pipingstructures. Methods may also include coupling a first bracket with thefirst inlet piping assembly and the first outlet piping assembly, wherethe first bracket provides a known spacing distance between a centrallongitudinal axis defined by the first inlet piping assembly and acentral longitudinal axis defined by the first outlet piping assembly.Methods may also include coupling a second bracket with the second inletpiping assembly and the second outlet piping assembly, where the secondbracket provides the known spacing distance between a centrallongitudinal axis defined by the second inlet piping assembly and acentral longitudinal axis defined by the second outlet piping assembly.

According to some embodiments, methods may include coupling a firstancillary component with the first heat exchange coil of the firstportable piping structure, and coupling a second ancillary componentwith the second heat exchange coil of the second portable pipingstructure. According to some embodiments, the first ancillary componentmay include a first direct digital control (DDC) controller and thesecond ancillary component may include a second direct digital control(DDC) controller. Optionally, methods may include coupling a firstancillary component with the first bracket, and coupling a secondancillary component with the second bracket. Further, methods mayinclude coupling a first ancillary component with the first inlet pipingassembly, and coupling a second ancillary component with the secondinlet piping assembly. Still further, methods may include coupling afirst ancillary component with the first outlet piping assembly, andcoupling a second ancillary component with the second outlet pipingassembly. According to some embodiments, methods may include sealing thefirst inlet piping assembly and the first outlet piping assembly suchthat the first portable piping structure comprises a sealed and closedsystem, and sealing the second inlet piping assembly and the secondoutlet piping assembly such that the second portable piping structurecomprises a sealed and closed system.

The methods and apparatuses of the present invention may be provided inone or more kits for such use. For example, the kits may comprise asystem for use in an HVAC system. Optionally, such kits may furtherinclude any of the other system components described in relation to thepresent invention and any other materials or items relevant to thepresent invention. The instructions for use can set forth any of themethods as described herein. It is further understood that systemsaccording to the present invention may be configured to carry out any ofthe method steps described herein.

These and other features, objects and advantages will be understood orapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the followingdetailed description of the preferred embodiment as illustrated in thevarious drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an fully-functional zone-control unitready for installation in a HVAC system which includes a zone-controlunit having a casing from which a pair of handles project for supportinginlet and outlet piping assemblies included in the fully-functionalzone-control unit, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a plate that is included in the handlesillustrated in FIG. 1 which project from the zone-control unit's casingand support the piping assemblies, according to one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment,fully-functional zone-control unit which includes a NEMA enclosure thatadapts the unit for installation outside a building, according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the alternative embodiment,fully-functional zone-control unit of FIG. 3 that includes a shieldwhich protects coils included in the casing from mechanical damage,according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodimentfully-functional zone-control unit similar to that depicted in FIG. 1,which includes a cradle located beneath the zone-control unit forsupporting inlet and outlet piping assemblies included in thefully-functional zone-control unit, according to one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative embodimentfully-functional zone-control unit in accordance with the presentdisclosure, similar to that depicted in FIG. 1, which includes a pair ofsleeve mounting brackets that surround the casing, and support thezone-control unit when it is installed in a HVAC system.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of one of the zone-control unitmounting brackets depicted in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an elevational view taken along a line 8-8 in FIG. 7.illustrating mating of a pair of handles included in the zone-controlunit mounting bracket depicted in FIGS. 6 and 7.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another alternative embodimentfully-functional zone-control unit in accordance with the presentdisclosure, similar to that depicted in FIG. 1, which includes fourcolumnar mounting brackets that are secured to the casing, and supportthe zone-control unit when it is installed in a HVAC system.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an electrical components enclosure fora fully-functional zone-control unit in accordance with the presentdisclosure adapted for use inside a building.

FIG. 11 is an elevational view of yet another alternative embodiment ofa fully-functional zone-control unit in accordance with the presentdisclosure, in which appears a portion of the zone-control unitappearing in FIG. 1, that includes flexible braided hoses whichfacilitate connecting the zone-control unit's inlet and outlet pipingassemblies to a building's plumbing.

FIGS. 12A and B illustrate a zone-control unit according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 13A and B illustrate a zone-control unit according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 14A and B illustrate a zone-control unit according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 illustrates a zone-control unit according to one embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 16 illustrates a zone-control unit according to one embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 17 illustrates a zone-control unit according to one embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIGS. 18A-18E illustrate a heat exchanger/coil packaged with ancillarycomponents.

FIGS. 19A-19B illustrate differing HVAC units having standardizedcomponents, along with aspects of those components.

FIG. 20 illustrates interfacing of HVAC unit support structures, showingthat the support structures can be used to suspend and support the HVACunit for use in an HVAC system.

FIGS. 21A and 21B illustrate a quality control process and method forproviding HVAC units and assembling and HVAC system.

FIG. 22 shows a control assembly for an HVAC system according toembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 23 shows a zone control unit or heat exchanger smart controlconfiguration according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 24 shows graph of a front end mathematical calculation or algorithmbased on desired performance and time values.

FIG. 25 depicts an HVAC component assembly according to embodiments ofthe present invention.

FIG. 26 shows an HVAC component assembly according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 27 shows an HVAC component assembly according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIGS. 28A-28C illustrate various views of an HVAC unit assemblyaccording to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 29 shows an HVAC component assembly according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIGS. 30A-30C illustrate various views of an HVAC unit assembly bracketaccording to embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 31A-31F illustrate aspects of portable piping assemblies accordingto embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 32 illustrates aspects of an HVAC casing according to embodimentsof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The perspective view of FIG. 1 illustrates a fully-functional HVACterminal unit referred to by the general reference character 100. Thefully-functional zone-control unit 100 depicted in FIG. 1, whichillustrates one embodiment of the present invention, preferably includesa mechanical terminal unit 102 having a casing 104 visible in FIG. 1.The casing 104, which can be made from various materials of differingthicknesses, is frequently made from galvanized sheet steel material.Frequently, the casing 104 is lined with a thermal insulation material,not visible in FIG. 1, which may be chosen from various different typessuch as fiberglass insulation, rigid duct board fiber insulation,polyolefin, closed cell, foam insulation, etc. In some embodiments,insulation contained in zone-control unit 100 complies with an industrystandard, such as a standard set by the Office of Statewide Health andPlanning Department (OSHPOD).

For VAV zone-control units 100, the mechanical terminal unit 102preferably includes a damper assembly, not visible in FIG. 1. The damperassembly is supported for rotation within the casing 104 by a shaftwhich extends through and beyond the casing 104. The mechanical terminalunit 102 of a zone-control unit 100 that includes the damper assemblyalso includes a DDC controller 112 depicted in FIG. 3. The DDCcontroller 112 is coupled to a damper motor, not visible in any of thefigures, which rotates the damper assembly. The DDC controller 112receives a signal from a thermostat or room sensor and responsivethereto controls operation of the damper assembly to regulate the amountof heating or cooling provided by air leaving the zone-control unit 100.The DDC controller 112 may be selected from various different types suchas pneumatic, analog electronic or direct digital electronic. Themechanical terminal unit 102 also includes an airflow sensor, also notvisible in FIG. 1, which is usually located near an air inlet to thecasing 104 and may be selected from various types for sensing thevelocity of air entering the casing 104.

To heat or cool air flowing through the mechanical terminal unit 102,the casing 104 includes a coil 122 that is located near the air inletthereto, and which adapts the mechanical terminal unit 102 for inclusionin a hydronic HVAC system. The casing 104 includes both an inlet collar,not visible in FIG. 1, and an outlet connection 124 each of which isadapted to mate with a building's HVAC ductwork. If a zone-control unit100 were to be assembled at a construction site, the mechanical terminalunit 102 would arrive there with the various components listed abovemostly assembled, other than the DDC controller 112 and the dampermotor, by the terminal unit's manufacturer.

The mechanical terminal unit 102 is preferably selected from amongvarious different types and styles sold by Krueger based in Richardson,Tex. Krueger is a division of Air Systems Components (ASC) which is partof the Dayton, Ohio Air System Components Division of TomkinsIndustries, Inc. of London, England.

To fashion the mechanical terminal unit 102 into a zone-control unit 100ready for installation into a building's HVAC system, various plumbingcomponents must be added for circulating either hot or cold waterthrough the coil 122. For supplying water to the coil 122 thezone-control unit 100 includes an inlet piping assembly 202. The pipingassembly 202 includes an L-shaped section of pipe 204 which connects atone end to a lower header of the coil 122, not visible in FIG. 1. At itsother end, the pipe 204 ends at a union 208. The other half of the union208 connects to a tailpiece 212 which receives both apressure/temperature (“P/T”) port 214 and a drain 216. The drain 216includes a ball valve integrated ¾″ male garden hose end connection tofacilitate draining the coil 122 when maintenance or repairs becomenecessary. A ball valve 222, which includes a strainer, connects to aside of the tailpiece 212 away from the union 208 to permit stopping hotor cold water from circulating through the coil 122. An opposite side ofthe valve 222 from the tailpiece 212 receives a length of pipe 224 whichadapts the piping assembly 202 for connecting to a building's plumbing.

The zone-control unit 100 also includes an outlet piping assembly 232for receiving water from the coil 122. A short length of pipe 234 whichends in a tee 236 connects to an header 238 of the coil 122. A manualair vent 242 is connected to and projects upward above the tee 236 tofacilitate eliminating air from the piping assemblies 202, 232 followingfirst assembling the HVAC system, or reassembly of the zone-control unit100 when maintenance or repairs become necessary. An L-shaped section ofpipe 244 is connected to and depends below the tee 236. Similar to thepipe 204, an end of the pipe 244 furthest from the tee 236 ends at aunion 246. The other half of the union 246 connects to a 2 way or 3 wayATC control valve 252. The ATC control valve 252 may either be of a typedepicted in FIG. 1 that provides only on-off control, or be of a typethat provides proportional control. An electrical signal supplied to theATC control valve 252 from the DDC controller 112 via a control signalcable 114 can energize operation of the ATC control valve 252.

A side of the ATC control valve 252 furthest from the union 246 connectsto a union 254. Connecting the ATC control valve 252 into the pipingassembly 232 on both sides with unions 246, 254 facilitates itsreplacement when maintenance or repairs become necessary. A tailpiece262, connected to the other side of the union 254 furthest from the ATCcontrol valve 252, receives both a P/T port 264 and a manual air vent266. The P/T ports 214 and 264 facilitate measuring pressure and/ortemperature of water circulating through the coil 122. The vent 266facilitates eliminating air from the piping assembly 232 following firstassembling the HVAC system, or reassembly of the zone-control unit 100when maintenance or repairs become necessary. A manual balancing valve272 connects to the other side of the tailpiece 262 from the furthestfrom the union 254. An opposite side of the valve 272 from the tailpiece262 receives a length of pipe 274 which, similar to the pipe 224, adaptsthe piping assembly 232 for connecting to a building's plumbing. Thevalves 222, 216, 272 and other plumbing fittings included in the pipingassemblies 202, 232 are preferably manufactured by HCI of MadisonHeights, Mich. The valves 222, 272 permit isolating from the building'splumbing, when maintenance or repairs become necessary, the coil 122 andthose portions of the piping assemblies 202, 232 which connect to thevalves 222, 272.

As described thus far, the zone-control unit 100 including the pipingassemblies 202, 232 are substantially the same as those which a skilledsheet metal worker, controls contractor, electrician, and pipe fittermight collectively assemble at a building site. However, in assemblingzone-control units 100 in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention for a particular building project or significant portionthereof, all of the lengths of pipe, plumbing fittings, valves, vents,P/T ports, etc. are the same. Consequently, when a repair becomenecessary a building manager or the manager's personnel responsible formaintaining the HVAC system may confidently order a replacement partknowing that it will surely fit because the plumbing of eachzone-control unit 100 is not unique. Rather, in accordance with thepresent invention the plumbing of zone-control units 100 is uniformthroughout the building or significant portion thereof. Furthermore,because plumbing of zone-control units 100 is uniform throughout thebuilding or significant portion thereof, acting either from prudence orcaution a building manager may confidently maintain an inventory ofplumbing components for the zone-control units 100 to have on hand whenthey need repair thereby significantly reducing downtime while alsomaintaining IAQ.

In addition to being assembled with uniform plumbing, in accordance withthe present invention tags 282 are attached to each valve 252, 272 orother component that are likely to eventually require replacement. Afterthe HVAC system has been commissioned, when a failure occurs and islocated, the presence of an identifying tag 282 attached to a failedcomponent simplifies its replacement and reduces the time requiredtherefor. The tags 282 are particularly helpful if components fromdifferent manufacturers and/or different catalogs have been incorporatedinto the HVAC system. The tags 282 are preferably engraved plastic, butmay also be made from metal, paper, or any other appropriate material.The tags 282 may carry barcodes or plain language, for example, and maybe customized to provide information in the manner most useful for aparticular project. In accordance with the present invention,performance requirements for each zone-control unit 100 such as GPM,CFM, CV and so on are marked thereon in an accessible and well definedlocation.

Also in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, each pipe224, 274 is sealed by a spun copper cap 284 which is five (5) timesthicker than the pipe 224, 274, and the assembled piping assemblies 202,232 include a pressure gauge 286. Following fabrication and sealing ofthe piping assemblies 202, 232, they are pressure tested with, forexample, a gas such as air. Other gasses, fluids, or liquids may be usedas appropriate for materials used in the piping assemblies 202, 232. Atypical pressure range used in testing assembled piping assemblies 202,232 and coil 122 is 20-400 psi, and in one embodiment is preferably 140psi. While pressurized, the piping assemblies 202, 232 and the coil 122are checked for leaks, e.g. with a soap solution. Any defects inassembly found during pressure testing are repaired and/or defectivecomponents replaced. For example, experience in assembling zone-controlunits 100 in accordance with embodiments of the present inventionindicates that about 3 to 7% of new coils 122 are defective and must bereplaced.

When inspection and pressure testing indicates that no leaks appear toexist in the piping assemblies 202, 232 and the coil 122, they are thensealed and re-pressurized to at least 100 psi, preferably 140 psi, orany other desired negative or positive pressure, including a vacuum.After pressurization, the piping assemblies 202, 232 and the coil 122remain sealed for 24 hours throughout which they must hold thepressurization to confirm that the zone-control unit 100 is undergoinginstallation into a HVAC system. After the piping assemblies 202, 232and the coil 122 pass this 24 hour quality assurance test, zone-controlunits 100 can be ready for shipping to a construction site. Inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the pipingassemblies 202, 232 and coil 122 of zone-control units 100 ready forinstallation remain pressurized continuously after their 24 hour qualityassurance test at a pressure of at least 60 psi until they are about tobe installed into a building's HVAC system. In some cases, the shippingpressure can be 40 psi, or any other desired pressure.

Immediately before installing a zone-control unit 100 at a constructionsite, their readiness for installation can be confirmed by checking thepressure gauge 286. If the pressure gauge 286 fails to indicate aspecified pressure, then the zone-control unit 100 may need furthertesting and/or repair, and should not be installed into the HVAC system.Instead an identically assembled zone-control unit 100 having a pressuregauge 286 which indicates the specified pressure may be immediatelysubstituted for a defective one, and the defective zone-control unit 100may either be repaired and re-tested at the construction site, or it maybe returned to its vendor for repair.

Identifying and replacing faulty piping assemblies 202, 232 and/or coil122 in this way prior to installing the zone-control unit 100 saves timeand money. The present invention can eliminate an inability to test thepiping assemblies 202, 232 and coil 122 of each zone-control unit 100assembled at a construction site until the entire HVAC system iscompletely assembled and ready for commissioning. Off-site assembly andtesting of zone-control units 100, rather than assembling the componentsat the construction site, improves quality control by individuallyassuring that each zone-control unit 100 is ready for installation in aHVAC system. In this way the present invention saves time and money thatwould otherwise be spent tracking down leaks that occur usingtraditional on-site assembly of zone-control units 100. Furthermore, bypreventing pinhole leaks in the zone-control unit 100, which inevitablyresult in mold, biochemical hazards, etc., the present inventionsignificantly improves IAQ both initially and throughout the HVACsystem's service life. Relatedly, insulation can be applied to orincorporated into a zone-control unit or portable piping structure atthe factory, instead of in the field or at the job site. Thus, units orstructures can be made at the factory, pre-assembled, pre-calibrated,and pre-insulated, thus providing further cost savings and efficiencies.

One problem which arises with assembling zone-control units 100 at alocation remote from a construction site is that during theirtransportation to the site and during installation into a building'sductwork zone-control units 100 may be manipulated by the pipingassemblies 202, 232 and/or the coil 122 of the mechanical terminal unit102. Such handling of zone-control units 100 during installation maydamage seals between the components as well as the componentsthemselves. For example, damage may occur to seals between a coil and apipe, or between two pipes, or even to a seal or cap of a pipe or coil.Furthermore, such damage may not be noticed until the HVAC system ispressurized for commissioning or at a later date. At that time, locatinga leak or malfunctioning part may be time-consuming, virtuallyimpossible and cost prohibitive. To reduce any possibility that azone-control unit 100 might be damaged while being transported from itsassembly, test and qualification location to a construction site and tofacilitate handling the zone-control unit 100 during its installationinto the HVAC system, in accordance with the embodiment of the presentinvention illustrated in FIG. 1 each zone-control unit 100 also includesa pair of handles 502 that are preferably secured to the casing 104 ofthe mechanical terminal unit 102 near opposite ends thereof.

Each of the handles 502 includes an L-shaped handle mounting bracket 504which is rigidly secured to a wall 132 of the mechanical terminal unit102 which is nearest to the piping assemblies 202, 232. As depicted inFIG. 1, the handle mounting brackets 504 are secured near opposite endsof the wall 132 of the zone-control unit's casing 104. Each of thehandles 502, for example illustrated in FIG. 2, is formed by a plate 506a of sheet metal. Each plate 506 a include a plurality of holes 508through which fasteners pass for securing the plate 506 a to a portionof the handle mounting bracket 504 that projects outward from the wall132. The handle mounting brackets 504 and the plates 506 a can be madefrom 12 gauge sheet steel. The handle mounting brackets 504 can begalvanized and the plates 506 a can be powder coated, and can be madefrom various materials and gauge sizes.

For use with the zone-control unit 100, each plate 506 a is also piercedby a rectangularly-shaped hole 512, and by a pair of circularly-shapedholes 514 illustrated with dashed lines in FIG. 2. The holes 512 arelarge enough to accept many lifting devices including human hands,forklift, Unistrut®, pipe or other lifting device. Each hole 512 has acurved edge 518 to prevent hand injuries, and may lack any sharp edgesor non-rolled edges. The holes 514 each receive a grommet 522 that fitssnugly around the piping assemblies 202, 232 where they pass throughplates 506 a.

Arranged in this way, the handle mounting brackets 504 and plates 506 aprovide a structure for mechanically coupling the mechanical terminalunit 102 and the piping assemblies 202, 232 together thereby reducingany possibility that the zone-control unit 100 might be damaged whilebeing transported from its assembly, test and qualification location toa construction site. Furthermore, the handles 502 protect zone-controlunits 100 during shipping, and facilitate their handling duringinstallation into the HVAC system such as maneuvering zone-control units100 into position in a building's ductwork. During installation, thehandle mounting brackets 504 and plates 506 a maintain positionalrelation-ships between the mechanical terminal unit 102 including thecoil 122 and the piping assemblies 202, 232 because the handle mountingbrackets 504 and plates 506 a mechanically bind the entire zone-controlunit 100 together into a single unit. Exemplary embodiments encompass anapparatus as generally depicted in FIG. 2 for use as a portable pipingstructure bracket with a universal handle. The bracket can bemanufactured in multiple sizes, multiple configurations, with anydesired constellation of piping openings or couplings, and can includeany desired material or fastening mechanisms. Brackets can have anydesired shape or configuration, and often include a portion that extendsbeyond piping apertures that provides protective mechanism for thepiping, to prevent the piping from damage during transport or handling.

In renovating existing buildings by adding an up-to-date HVAC system,sometimes there exists no interior space for installing zone-controlunits 100. To permit installing zone-control units 100 on a renovatedbuilding's roof where its components are exposed to environmentalhazards, an alternative embodiment of the zone-control unit 100,depicted in FIG. 3, includes a weatherproof NEMA enclosure 552. For thisalternative embodiment zone-control unit 100, all of the electricalcomponents together with their wiring are located within the NEMAenclosure 552, and outdoor grade conduit 554 encloses the cable 114 thatinterconnects the DDC controller 112 and the ATC control valve 252.Accordingly, in addition to the DDC controller 112, the NEMA enclosure552 also encloses a on-off switch 562 and a transformer 564 forsupplying 24 volt electrical power to the DDC controller 112.

Cooling for the components of the mechanical terminal unit 102 enclosedwithin the NEMA enclosure 552 may be provided by a mini-fan mountedwithin the NEMA enclosure 552. Alternatively, these components of themechanical terminal unit 102 may be cooled by air flowing through theHVAC system's ductwork. For example, one end of a small duct may beconnected into the plenum upstream from the coil 122 with the other endconnecting to the NEMA enclosure 552. The ATC control valve 252 may alsobe cooled by enclosing it and connecting its enclosure to the HVACsystem's plenum by a small duct. If the electrical wires connecting thecoil 122 to the ATC control valve 252 are enclosed within a one (1) inchdiameter outdoor grade conduit 554, cool air first supplied to the ATCcontrol valve 252 flows to the NEMA enclosure 552 through the outdoorgrade conduit 554.

The NEMA enclosure 552 may be selected from among NEMA Type 3R, 4 or 10enclosures. NEMA Type 3R, 4 or 10 enclosures all provide a degree ofprotection for personnel against incidental contact with equipmentenclosed therein. NEMA Type 3R enclosures are constructed for eitherindoor or outdoor use providing a degree of protection against fallingdirt, rain, sleet, and snow, and are undamaged by the external formationof ice on the enclosure. NEMA Type 4 enclosures are also constructed foreither indoor or outdoor use again providing a degree of protectionagainst falling dirt, rain, sleet, snow, windblown dust, splashingwater, and hose-directed water, and are also undamaged by the externalformation of ice on the enclosure. NEMA Type 10 enclosures are designedto contain an internal explosion without causing an external hazard,i.e. NEMA Type 10 enclosures meet the requirements of the Mine Safetyand Health Administration, 30 CFR, Part 18.

As described thus far, zone-control units 100 have exposed U-shapedportions 566 of tubes, best illustrated in FIG. 3, through which watercirculates that are located at the end of the coil 122 furthest from thepiping assemblies 202, 232. To reduce the possibility that the exposedU-shaped portions 566 of these tubes might be damaged either duringtransportation of the zone-control unit 100 and/or its installation intoa HVAC system, as illustrated in FIG. 4 an alternative embodiment of thezone-control unit 100 includes a shield 568 preferably made from sheetsteel material.

The shield 568 is secured to the coil 122 and perhaps also the casing104, and covers the U-shaped portions 566 of tubes included in the coil122. Though not illustrated in FIG. 4, the shield 568 may be lined withinsulation to further reduce heat loss from the U-shaped portions 566 ofthe coil 122 in addition to the heat loss reduction provided byinstalling an uninsulated shield 568.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment zone-controlunit 100 in accordance with the present invention similar to thezone-control unit 100 depicted in FIG. 1. The zone-control unit 100depicted in FIG. 4 includes a rectangularly-shaped cradle 572 disposedbeneath and secured to the mechanical terminal unit 102. In theembodiment of the zone-control unit 100 depicted in FIG. 4, plates 506b, for mechanically securing the piping assemblies 202, 232 to thecasing 104, omit the handles 502 established by the holes 512 formed inthe plates 506 a. Instead the plates 506 b are narrower and L-shapedwith a foot 574 which is secured to the cradle 572. The cradle 572 ispierced by holes 576 respectively located near each of its four corners,only three of which are visible in FIG. 4. In one embodiment, threadedrods 578 respectively pass through each of the holes 576 for supportingthe cradle 572 from ceiling joists or an adjacent wall. Alternatively,an isolation spring (not illustrated in any of the figures) may besecured through each of the holes 576 and to an end of the threaded rod578 nearest the hole 576. The cradle 572 is also pierced by arectangularly-shaped hole 582 along an edge of the cradle 572 nearest tothe piping assemblies 202, 232. The hole 582 provides the cradle 572with a handle 584 for the zone-control unit 100 illustrated in FIG. 4similar to the handles 502 provided by the holes 512 depicted in FIG. 1that pierce the plates 506 a.

Galvanized or stainless steel sheet material forming the cradle 572includes linear, V-shaped troughs 586 formed therein in an X-shape whichextend between diagonal pairs of holes 576. The troughs 586 cause thecenter of the cradle 572 where the troughs 586 intersect to be thelowest point thereof. Consequently, any water leaking from the pipingassemblies 202, 232 collects at the middle of the cradle 572. The cradle572 preferably includes a threaded fitting (not illustrated in any ofthe figures) that is located at the intersection of the troughs 586. Thecradle 572 may have a flask (not illustrated in any of the figures)secured to the threaded fitting so any water which collects at themiddle of the cradle 572 may flow through the fitting and be collectedin the flask. Alternatively, a moisture sensor (not illustrated in anyof the figures) may be secured to the threaded fitting for sending anelectrical signal to a monitoring station if water collects at themiddle of the cradle 572.

Arranged in this way, the handle mounting brackets 504, plates 506 b andthe cradle 572 provide a structure for mechanically coupling themechanical terminal unit 102 and the piping assemblies 202, 232 togetherthereby reducing any possibility that the zone-control unit 100 might bedamaged while being transported from its assembly, test andqualification location to a construction site. Furthermore, the handle584 facilitates handling zone-control units 100 during theirinstallation into the HVAC system such as maneuvering zone-control units100 into position for installation into a building's ductwork. Duringinstallation, the handle mounting brackets 504, plates 506 b and thecradle 572 maintain positional relationships between the mechanicalterminal unit 102 including the coil 122 and the piping assemblies 202,232 because the handle mounting brackets 504, plates 506 b and thecradle 572 mechanically bind the entire zone-control unit 100 togetherinto a single unit.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the zone-control unit100 that further facilitates its installation into a building'sductwork. In this embodiment, a pair of sleeve mounting brackets 602,which replace the handle mounting brackets 504 depicted in FIG. 1,surround the casing 104 near opposite ends thereof. As betterillustrated in FIG. 7, each sleeve mounting bracket 602 includes asubstantially planar, generally rectangular frame 604 which extendsoutward from and surrounds the casing 104.

Stiffeners 606 a through 606 d, which may be formed integrally with theframe 604, project at right angles from interior edges 608 of the frame604 to extend respectively along sides of the casing 104.

Because each sleeve mounting bracket 602 replaces one handle mountingbracket 504 illustrated in FIG. 1, for the embodiment depicted in FIG. 6the handle 502 is secured to either one or the other of verticallyoriented sides 612 of the frame 604. Thus, the sleeve mounting bracket602 permits attaching handles 502 to either side of the frame 604 forsupporting the piping assemblies 202, 232.

A pair of hanging plates 616 respectively extend at right angles fromupper edges 614 of the vertically oriented sides 612 of the frame 604,and are preferably formed integrally with the sides 612. An aperture 622pierces each of the hanging plates 616 thereby adapting it to receiveone end of a threaded rod or of a seismic fastening product forsuspending the zone-control unit 100 when installed in a HVAC system.The sleeve mounting bracket 602 also includes a pair of reinforcingplates 626 each of which spans between a depending edge 628 of thehanging plates 616 and an upper edge 629 respectively of the stiffeners606 b and 606 d, and is welded thereto.

An elongated tab 632 projects upward as part of a horizontally orientedtop side 634 of the frame 604. Fasteners 642, such as sheet metalscrews, secure to the tab 632 a handle 644, which is shaped similar toor the same as the handle 502. Similar to the handle 502, as bestillustrated in FIG. 8 the handle 644 preferably includes a curved edge646. For suspending zone-control units 100 within a building using thehandle 644 secured to the tab 632 of the sleeve mounting bracket 602, anL-shaped upper mounting bracket 652 depicted in FIG. 7 is secured to ajoist or other building structural member. A handle 654 identical to thehandle 644 is secured to the upper mounting bracket 652 with fasteners656 such as sheet metal screws. As illustrated in FIG. 8, a curved edge658 of the handle 654 receives and mates with the curved edge 646 of thehandle 644. Configured in this way, the mated handles 644, 654 provide ahanger for suspending the zone-control unit 100 which seismicallyisolates the zone-control unit 100 from the building. Seismic andvibration insulation between the building and the zone-control unit 100can be enhanced by inserting between the curved edges 654, 658 a sheetof elastomeric material such as rubber (not illustrated in any of thefigures). The handles 644, 654 can also be further secured to each otherwith fasteners such as screws. While the curved edges 654, 658 arepreferred for coupling the handles 644, 654 together, other lockingmechanisms can be used such as clips or/and screws, or metal on metal,etc. If the zone-control unit 100 needs to be located further from thejoist or other structural member than that provided by the handles 644,654, appropriate lengths of sheet metal may be interposed between thetab 632 and the handle 644 and/or between the upper mounting bracket 652and the handle 654.

FIG. 9 illustrates yet another alternative embodiment of thezone-control unit 100 that further facilitates its installation into abuilding's ductwork. Analogously to the sleeve mounting bracket 602 ofFIGS. 6-8, in the embodiment of FIG. 9 four (4) columnar mountingbrackets 672 replace the handle mounting brackets 504 depicted inFIG. 1. Those elements depicted in FIG. 9 that are common to the sleevemounting bracket 602 illustrated in FIGS. 6-8 carry the same referencenumeral distinguished by a prime (“′”) designation. Comparing FIG. 9with FIGS. 6-8 reveals that each columnar mounting bracket 672 includesthe side 612′, the apertured hanging plate 616′, the reinforcing plate626 and either the stiffener 606 b′ or 606 d′ of the sleeve mountingbracket 602. Because each pair of columnar mounting brackets 672 lackthe top side 634 of the sleeve mounting bracket 602 with its tab 632 andthe handle 644 fastened thereto, when installed in a HVAC system thezone-control unit 100 illustrated in FIG. 9 must be hung from threadedrod or a seismic fastening product. The sleeve mounting brackets 602 andthe columnar mounting brackets 672 may be formed from 14 gauge sheetsteel.

Using 14 gauge sheet steel for the sleeve mounting brackets 602 and thecolumnar mounting brackets 672 may significantly increase the structuralrigidity the lighter 22 gauge sheet steel generally used in fabricatingthe casing 104 of the mechanical terminal unit 102. Thus, either thesleeve mounting brackets 602 or the columnar mounting brackets 672 maybe used advantageously in securing a zone-control unit 100 to a palletfor shipping to a building site. For example, either the sleeve mountingbrackets 602 or the columnar mounting brackets 672 may be appropriatelypierced by an aperture (not illustrated in any of the FIGS.) thatreceives strapping for securing the zone-control unit 100 to a pallet.Thus, both the sleeve mounting brackets 602 and the columnar mountingbrackets 672 facilitate shipping zone-control units 100 to a buildingsite without defects and/or damage.

FIG. 10 depicts an electrical components enclosure 702, analogous to theNEMA enclosure 552 depicted in FIG. 3, which may be included in azone-control unit 100 in accordance with the present disclosure that issuitable for installation only inside a building. Those elementsdepicted in FIG. 10 that are common to the zone-control unit 100depicted in FIG. 1 and to the NEMA enclosure 552 illustrated in FIG. 3carry the same reference numeral distinguished by a prime (“′”)designation. With respect to the casing 104 included in the zone-controlunit 100, the electrical components enclosure 702 may be secured to thetop, to the bottom or to the side of the casing 104 opposite to that onwhich the piping assemblies 202, 232 and handles 502 are located.

Differing from the on-off switch 562 that is located inside the NEMAenclosure 552 depicted in FIG. 3, the on-off switch 562′ illustrated inFIG. 10 and an associated LED power indicator 704 are both located in aseparate utility box 706 attached outside the electrical componentsenclosure 702. However, similar to the NEMA enclosure 552 depicted inFIG. 3, both the DDC controller 112′ and the transformer 564′ arelocated within the electrical components enclosure 702 depicted in FIG.10.

Including an individual transformer 564′ in each zone-control unit 100eliminates any need for an electrician to assemble multiple step downtransformers on an electrical panel, or to install 24 volt low voltagewiring between a remotely located transformer and a terminal unit asdescribed above. If the zone-control unit 100 is installed near a lightand power conduit within the building, supplying the zone-control unit100 with electrical power requires perhaps only a 1 to 5 foot connectionof electrical wire and/or conduit. Buildings equipped with newer lowenergy (high efficiency) lighting, require less electrical power thanthat required by prior, less efficient lighting. DDC controllers, suchas the DDC controller 112 and 112′ respectively depicted in FIGS. 3 and10, draw less than one-half (0.5) ampere of 115 volt alternating current(“AC”) electrical power. Therefore, the zone-control unit 100 can beconnected to a building's individual lighting circuits without a dangerof electrical overload.

Differing from the NEMA enclosure 552 depicted in FIG. 3, the utilitybox 706 may include a second on-off switch 712 and power outlet 714located in the utility box 706. The on-off switch 712 and the poweroutlet 714 provide a source of electrical power at the zone-control unit100 to be used when servicing the zone-control unit 100. The embodimentof the electrical components enclosure 702 depicted in FIG. 10 alsoincludes a service lamp 716 connected to an on-off switch 718. Analogousto the on-off switch 712 and the power outlet 714, the service lamp 716facilitates servicing the zone-control unit 100.

For the electrical components enclosure 702 depicted in FIG. 10,electrical wires 722 connect the on-off switch 562′ to the transformer564′ for energizing operation of the DDC controller 112′ with 115 voltalternating current (“AC”) electrical power. The electrical componentsenclosure 702 also preferably includes another set of electrical wires724 connected to the transformer 564′ which alternatively permitenergizing operation of the zone-control unit 100 with 277 volt ACelectrical power.

The electrical components enclosure 702 also preferably includes apressure sensor inlet 732 for receiving air from the HVAC system's ductsconnected to the zone-control unit 100. Within the electrical componentsenclosure 702, the pressure sensor inlet 732 supplies air from the ductsto the DDC controller 112′ via tubes 734. The electrical componentsenclosure 702 also includes a length of electrical wire 738 connected tothe DDC controller 112′ which facilitates connecting the zone-controlunit 100 to a temperature sensor located in the zone of the HVAC systemsupplied by the zone-control unit 100.

In general, DDC HVAC system controllers such as the DDC controller 112and 112′ respectively depicted in FIGS. 3 and 10 continually monitor andprovide individual zones with a supply of fresh air. Presently,conventional DDC controllers include a communication capability thatpermits a central computer to monitor a building's HVAC system'soperating status, and to coordinate operation of the various portions ofthe system including all of its terminal units. Presently, DDCcontrollers such as the 112 and 112′ respectively depicted in FIGS. 3and 10 are equipped with Local Area Network (“LAN”) communicationscapability. To facilitate installing the zone-control unit 100, asillustrated in FIG. 10 the electrical components enclosure 702 ispreferably equipped with a 100 ft. length of LAN cable 742 connected tothe DDC controller 112′. Establishing the LAN that interconnects groupsof zone-control units 100 all which include LAN cables 742 requires onlythat the LAN cable 742 of all but one of the zone-control units 100 inthe group be connected to another one of the group's zone-control units100.

To further facilitate installing zone-control units 100 into abuilding's HVAC system, FIG. 11 illustrates yet another alternativeembodiment of the zone-control unit 100 which replaces the caps 284 onthe piping assemblies 202, 232 with fittings 802 for connecting toflexible braided hoses 804 or other HVAC piping or hose components.Fittings 802 may be any type of fitting suitable for joining pipes,hoses, and the like. Fittings 802 may include press-fittings, pushfittings, and various kinds of solder-less fittings. Another valve 806connects to each end of the braided hoses 804 furthest from the pipingassemblies 202, 232. Similar to the caps 284, closing both valves 806connected to the end of each of the braided hoses 804 permitspressurizing both braided hoses 804, the piping assemblies 202, 232 andthe coil 122 for leak testing, the 24 hour pre-shipment qualificationpressure test, and assuring that the zone-control unit 100 remains leakfree until installed into ductwork of a building's HVAC system.

A copper tee plumbing fitting 808 may connect to each valve 806 on thebraided hoses 804 furthest from the piping assemblies 202, 232 on theside of the valves 806 furthest from the braided hoses 804. By includingthe tee plumbing fitting 808 in the zone-control unit 100, thisparticular embodiment permits a building's mechanical contractor, who isresponsible for its plumbing, to make straight runs of copper pipe forthe HVAC system's water which are located reasonably close to placeswhere zone-control units 100 are to be installed, e.g. within 2 feet.

Then when installing zone-control units 100 into the building'sductwork, rather than being required to plumb the HVAC system's pipingto the piping assemblies 202, 232, zone-control units 100 can beconnected with the HVAC system's piping by cutting out a small length ofthe previously plumbed piping, and inserting the tee plumbing fitting808 into the piping followed by sweating the connection of the teeplumbing fitting 808 to the HVAC system's piping.

FIG. 12A illustrates a side view of a zone-control unit 1000 for use inan HVAC system, according to one embodiment of the present invention,and FIG. 12B illustrates the corresponding end view. Zone-control unit1000 includes a duct or casing 1100, a thermal transfer unit 1200, aninlet piping assembly 1300, an outlet piping assembly 1400, and at leastone bracket 1500. In some embodiments, bracket 1500 can be apowder-coated handle shipping bracket. Bracket 1500 may include any of avariety of suitable materials, including metals, composites, and thelike. Inclusion of bracket 1500 can allow zone-control unit 1000 to bepre-engineered, sealed, pressure-tested, and shipped to job-site inworking condition, free of defects. Zone-control unit 1000 may includemilitary rubber Nitrile grommets 1510 for isolation between bracket 1500and piping assemblies 1300 and 1400. Grommets 1510 can help secure andprotect zone-control unit 1000, and can help reduce or eliminate thepossibility of galvanic corrosion at the interface between bracket 1500and piping assemblies 1300 and 1400. Grommets 1510 can be manufacturedto withstand heat, and in some cases can withstand a direct flame of 220degrees F., or higher. Bracket 1500 may include openings that aredesigned to fit the fork of a forklift, a steel pole, or a human hand.In some embodiments, bracket 1500 may not include an opening. Bracket1500 is well suited for reducing or preventing field damage. Forexample, with known systems and methods, field personnel typically liftor move HVAC components simply by grasping various piping or probeelements, which often results in destruction or serious damage to thecomponent. Bracket 1500 confers the ability to ship and maneuverzone-control unit 1000 in a standardized and safe manner. Often, thermaltransfer unit 1200, which may include a coil, is at least partiallydisposed within casing 1100. Inlet piping assembly 1300 is coupled withthermal transfer unit 1200 for supplying liquid or gas to coil 1200, andoutlet piping assembly 1400 is coupled with coil 1200 for receivingliquid or gas from coil 1200. This can be accomplished by coupling afirst passage 1310 of inlet piping assembly 1300 with a supply port 1210of thermal transfer unit 1200, and coupling a first passage 1410 of theoutlet piping assembly 1400 with a return port 1220 of thermal transferunit 1200. A second passage 1320 of inlet piping assembly 1300 can becoupled with an upstream fluid source 1330, and a second passage 1420 ofoutlet piping assembly 1400 can be coupled with a downstream fluiddestination 1430. In some embodiments, a portable piping structure mayinclude a heat exchanger coupled with a bracket and a pipe. The bracketis often also coupled with the pipe.

It is appreciated that inlet piping assembly second passage 1320 andoutlet piping assembly second passage 1420 each can be sealed, inletpiping assembly first passage 1310 can be in sealed communication withthermal transfer assembly supply port 1210, and outlet piping assemblyfirst passage 1410 can be in sealed communication with the thermaltransfer assembly return port 1220. When sealed in this fashion, thermaltransfer unit 1200 can contain a vacuum, a non-pressurized fluid, or apressurized fluid. Inlet piping assembly second passage 1320 and outletpiping assembly second passage 1420 can be manufactured from, forexample, ¾ inch type L copper water pipe. They can be sealed accordingto a heating and spinning procedure that introduces no annealing ordistortion of the pipe. After zone-control unit 1000 is placed in thedesired location relative to the HVAC system, distal tips of inletpiping assembly second passage 1320 and outlet piping assembly secondpassage 1420 can be cut, and connected with other HVAC piping or hoseelements, such as a hot water piping building loop. Relatedly,zone-control unit 1000 includes a pressure gauge 1710 coupled with inletpiping assembly 1400. In some embodiments, pressure gauge 1710 may becoupled with thermal transfer unit 1200 or outlet piping assembly 1300.Inlet piping assembly 1300 may be coupled with a drain valve 1330, aY-strainer 1340, a pressure/temperature port 1350, or a supply shutoffvalve 1360, or any combination thereof. Outlet piping assembly 1400 maybe coupled with control valve 1430, a balancing valve (not shown), avent (not shown), a pressure/temperature port 1450, or a return shutoffvalve 1460, or any combination thereof. Control valve 1430 may be anautomatic temperature control (ATC) valve having a compensated ballvalve including an integral pressure limiting and flow settingapparatus. Valve 1430 can assure consistent flow response regardless ofthe head pressure. In some cases, there is no CV setting on the valve.Relatedly, zone-control unit 1000 may include a field set manual orfactory programmable maximum flow setting. In some embodiments, valvebalancing may be accomplished in less than 30 seconds. Valve 1430 mayhave a shutoff pressure of 200 psi. Conveniently, valve 1430 may have apressure sufficient to counteract a heating loop dead head pressure,which can be 50 psi or more. In related embodiments, valve 1430 can be a½ inch, a ¾ inch, or 1 inch valve. Control valve 1430 may be amodulating Siemens ATC.

In some embodiments, a mechanical pressure/temperature port may bereplaced, supplemented, or operatively coupled with one or more analogor digital electronic sensors, including sensors enabled for wirelesscommunication, that detect or sense flow volume, for example in gallonsper minute (gpm), or other flow variables such as pressure, temperature,and the like. Advantageously, the incorporation of such electronicsensors can eliminate the need for a technician to manually access aheat exchanger to perform troubleshooting or diagnostic procedures withgauges. These electronic sensors can replace such gauges, and can bepre-calibrated or pre-programmed at a manufacturer factory prior toinstallation. Accordingly, many of all flow variables can be monitoredremotely through a building automation control system. A technician cancheck these variables remotely or wirelessly with a personal digitalassistant (PDA), a laptop, or other suitable device. These sensors mayalso be operatively coupled with a damper assembly controller, a directdigital controller, an analog electronic controller, or other desiredcomponent of a zone-control unit.

Thermal transfer unit 1200 may be coupled with a vent 1230 such as anair vent. In some instances, vent 1230 is a manual air vent disposed ator toward the highest point of thermal transfer unit 1200. Vent 1230 canhelp ensure proper drainage of air or other unwanted fluids or gassesthat enter the system, which can have deleterious effects on an HVACsystem. For example, unwanted air in a hot water system can causecavitation in a hot water pump, which may cause malfunction ordestruction of the pump or other system components. Vents can also helpensure optimum flow characteristics when draining thermal transfer unit1200 or other zone-control unit 1000 components. Full drainage of suchcomponents can facilitate the removal of unwanted particles such as rustor other chemical buildup. In some embodiments, vent 1230 is constructedof a non-corrosive military grade brass. In the embodiment shown here,zone-control unit 1000 includes a duct interface 1110 which iscoupleable with duct or casing 1100, which may be attached with orintegral to a duct or ductwork of an HVAC system. Bracket 1500, whichmay include a handle, supports duct interface 1100, inlet pipingassembly 1300, and outlet piping assembly 1400 with relative positionsappropriate for use in an HVAC system or other climate control system.In some cases, bracket 1500 may be a handle configured to maintain ductor casing 1100, inlet piping assembly 1300, and outlet piping assembly1400 in positional relationship.

As shown in FIG. 12A, zone-control unit 1000 can include a damperassembly controller 1600, which may be coupled with casing 1100. Damperassembly controller 1600 may be configured to receive a signal from athermostat or a room sensor (not shown). In some embodiments, damperassembly controller 1600 can include, for example, an analog electroniccontroller, or a direct digital control (DDC) controller equipped withLocal Area Network (LAN) communication capability. In some cases,controller 1600 can be a pneumatic DDC. Controller 1600 can also beconfigured to operatively associate with or have connectivity with aLonWorks or BACnet system. Unit 1000 can also include an automatictemperature control (ATC) valve 1430, which is typically coupled with orpart of outlet piping assembly 1400, and configured to receive a signalfrom damper assembly controller 1600, for example, by connection withplenum rated actuator wires 1432. Other embodiments may employ wirelesssignal transmission technologies. In certain embodiments, ATC valve 1430is a Nema 1 24V Belimo proportional actuator. Accordingly, in someembodiments the present invention provides a proportional hot watervalve package (PICCV). Often, zone-control unit 1000 will be configuredto have one piping interface, one electrical interface, and one sheetmetal interface, so as to provide a “plug and play” unit for ease ofshipping and installation.

FIG. 13A illustrates a side view of a zone-control unit 2000 for use inan HVAC system, according to one embodiment of the present invention,and FIG. 13B illustrates the corresponding end view. Zone-control unit2000 includes a duct or casing 2100, a thermal transfer unit 2200, aninlet piping assembly 2300, an outlet piping assembly 2400, and at leastone bracket 2500. Often, thermal transfer unit 2200, which may include acoil, is at least partially disposed within casing 2100. Inlet pipingassembly 2300 is coupled with thermal transfer unit 2200 for supplyingliquid or gas to coil 2200, and outlet piping assembly 2400 is coupledwith coil 2200 for receiving liquid or gas from coil 2200. This can beaccomplished by coupling a first passage 2310 of inlet piping assembly2300 with a supply port 2210 of thermal transfer unit 2200, and couplinga first passage 2410 of the outlet piping assembly 2400 with a returnport 2220 of thermal transfer unit 2200. A second passage 2320 of inletpiping assembly 2300 can be coupled with an upstream fluid source 2330,and a second passage 2420 of outlet piping assembly 2400 can be coupledwith a downstream fluid destination 2430.

It is appreciated that inlet piping assembly second passage 2320 andoutlet piping assembly second passage 2420 each can be sealed, inletpiping assembly first passage 2310 can be in sealed communication withthermal transfer assembly supply port 2210, and outlet piping assemblyfirst passage 2410 can be in sealed communication with the thermaltransfer assembly return port 2220. When sealed in this fashion, thermaltransfer unit 2200 can contain a vacuum, a non-pressurized fluid, or apressurized fluid. Relatedly, zone-control unit 2000 includes a pressuregauge 2710 coupled with inlet piping assembly 2400. In some embodiments,pressure gauge 2710 may be coupled with thermal transfer unit 2200 orinlet piping assembly 2300. Inlet piping assembly 2300 may be coupledwith a drain valve 2330, a Y-strainer 2340, a pressure/temperature port2350, or a supply shutoff valve 2360, or any combination thereof. Outletpiping assembly 2400 may be coupled with control valve 2430, a manualbalancing valve 2470, a vent (not shown), a pressure/temperature port2450 disposed upstream of control valve 2430, a pressure/temperatureport 2452 disposed downstream of control valve 2430, or a return shutoffvalve 2460, or any combination thereof. In some cases, balancing valve2470 may be a Griswold pressure independent balancing valve. Thermaltransfer unit 2200 may be coupled with a vent 2230 such as an air vent.In the embodiment shown here, zone-control unit 2000 includes a ductinterface 2110 which is coupleable with duct or casing 2100, which maybe attached with or integral to a duct or ductwork of an HVAC system.Bracket 2500, which may include a handle, supports duct interface 2110,inlet piping assembly 2300, and outlet piping assembly 2400 withrelative positions appropriate for use in an HVAC system or otherclimate control system. In some cases, bracket 2500 may be a handleconfigured to maintain duct or casing 2100, inlet piping assembly 2300,and outlet piping assembly 2400 in positional relationship. In somecases, a coil or heat exchanger, an inlet piping, and an outlet pipingcan form a closed and sealed system. In some cases, a coil or heatexchanger, a inlet piping, and the outlet piping can contain apressurized fluid. Optionally, one or more headers may be coupled with acoil or heat exchanger, and form part of the sealed and pressurizedspace.

As shown in FIG. 13A, zone-control unit 2000 can include a damperassembly controller 2600, which may be coupled with casing 2100. Damperassembly controller 1600 may be configured to receive a signal from athermostat or a room sensor (not shown). In some embodiments, damperassembly controller 2600 includes a direct digital control (DDC)controller equipped with Local Area Network (LAN) communicationcapability. Unit 2000 can also include an automatic temperature control(ATC) valve 2430, which is typically coupled with or part of outletpiping assembly 2400, and configured to receive a signal from damperassembly controller 2600, in some embodiments by connection with plenumrated actuator wires 2432, via wireless signal transmission systems, orthe like. In certain embodiments, ATC valve 2430 is a Nema 1 24V Belimoon/off actuator. Accordingly, in some embodiments the present inventionprovides a two way water valve package (CCV).

FIG. 14A illustrates a side view of a zone-control unit 3000 for use inan HVAC system, according to one embodiment of the present invention,and FIG. 14B illustrates the corresponding end view. Zone-control unit3000 includes a duct or casing 3100, a thermal transfer unit 3200, aninlet piping assembly 3300, an outlet piping assembly 3400, a bypasspiping assembly 3800, and at least one bracket 3500. Often, thermaltransfer unit 3200, which may include a coil, is at least partiallydisposed within casing 3100. Inlet piping assembly 3300 is coupled withthermal transfer unit 3200 for supplying liquid or gas to coil 3200, andoutlet piping assembly 3400 is coupled with coil 3200 for receivingliquid or gas from coil 3200. This can be accomplished by coupling afirst passage 3310 of inlet piping assembly 3300 with a supply port 3210of thermal transfer unit 3200, and coupling a first passage 3410 of theoutlet piping assembly 3400 with a return port 3220 of thermal transferunit 3200. A second passage 3320 of inlet piping assembly 3300 can becoupled with an upstream fluid source 3330, and a second passage 3420 ofoutlet piping assembly 3400 can be coupled with a downstream fluiddestination 3430.

It is appreciated that inlet piping assembly second passage 3320 andoutlet piping assembly second passage 3420 each can be sealed, inletpiping assembly first passage 3310 can be in sealed communication withthermal transfer assembly supply port 3210, and outlet piping assemblyfirst passage 3410 can be in sealed communication with the thermaltransfer assembly return port 3220. Similarly, bypass piping assembly3800 can be in sealed communication with inlet piping assembly 3300 andoutlet piping assembly 3400 so as to provide a fluid passagetherebetween, whereby the passage can be open and closed via operationof bypass shutoff valve 3810. When sealed in this fashion, thermaltransfer unit 3200 can contain a vacuum, a non-pressurized fluid, or apressurized fluid. Relatedly, zone-control unit 3000 includes a pressuregauge 3710 coupled with outlet piping assembly 3400. In someembodiments, pressure gauge 3710 may be coupled with thermal transferunit 3200 or inlet piping assembly 3300. When bypass shutoff valve 3810is in the open position, fluid can flow directly from inlet pipingassembly 3300 to outlet piping assembly 3400 without flowing throughthermal transfer unit 3200. When bypass shutoff valve 3810 is in theclosed position, fluid can flow from inlet piping assembly 3300 tooutlet piping assembly 3400 through thermal transfer unit 3200, withoutflowing through bypass piping assembly 3800. Inlet piping assembly 3300may be coupled with a drain valve 3330, a Y-strainer 3340, apressure/temperature port 3350, or a supply shutoff valve 3360, or anycombination thereof. Outlet piping assembly 3400 may be coupled withcontrol valve 3430, a manual balancing valve 3470, a vent (not shown), apressure/temperature port 3450 disposed upstream of control valve 3430,a pressure/temperature port 3452 disposed downstream of control valve3430, or a return shutoff valve 3460, or any combination thereof.Thermal transfer unit 3200 may be coupled with a vent 3230 such as anair vent. In the embodiment shown here, zone-control unit 3000 includesa duct interface 3110 which is coupleable with duct or casing 3100,which may be attached with or integral to a duct or ductwork of an HVACsystem. Bracket 3500, which may include a handle, supports ductinterface 3110, inlet piping assembly 3300, and outlet piping assembly3400 with relative positions appropriate for use in an HVAC system orother climate control system. In some cases, bracket 3500 may be ahandle configured to maintain duct or casing 3100, inlet piping assembly3300, and outlet piping assembly 3400 in positional relationship. Insome cases, a coil or heat exchanger, an inlet piping, and an outletpiping can form a closed and sealed system. In some cases, a coil orheat exchanger, a inlet piping, and the outlet piping can contain apressurized fluid. Optionally, one or more headers may be coupled with acoil or heat exchanger, and form part of the sealed and pressurizedspace.

As shown in FIG. 14A, zone-control unit 3000 can include a damperassembly controller 3600, which may be coupled with casing 3100. Damperassembly controller 3600 may be configured to receive a signal from athermostat or a room sensor (not shown). In some embodiments, damperassembly controller 3600 includes a direct digital control (DDC)controller equipped with Local Area Network (LAN) communicationcapability. Unit 3000 can also include an automatic temperature control(ATC) valve 3430, which is typically coupled with or part of outletpiping assembly 3400, and configured to receive a signal from damperassembly controller 3600 by connection with plenum rated actuator wires3432, wireless transmission systems, or the like. In certainembodiments, ATC valve 3430 is a Nema 1 24V Belimo three way actuator.Accordingly, in some embodiments the present invention provides a threeway water valve package (CCV).

FIG. 15 illustrates a side view of a zone-control unit 4000 for use inan HVAC system, according to one embodiment of the present invention.Zone-control unit 4000 includes a duct or casing 4100, a thermaltransfer unit 4200, an inlet piping assembly 4300, an outlet pipingassembly 4400, and at least one bracket 4500. Often, thermal transferunit 4200, which may include a coil, is at least partially disposedwithin casing 4100. Inlet piping assembly 4300 is coupled with thermaltransfer unit 4200 for supplying liquid or gas to coil 4200, and outletpiping assembly 4400 is coupled with coil 4200 for receiving liquid orgas from coil 4200. Zone-control unit 4000 includes a pressure gauge4710 coupled with outlet piping assembly 4400. In some embodiments,pressure gauge 4710 may be coupled with thermal transfer unit 4200 orinlet piping assembly 4300. Inlet piping assembly 4300 may be coupledwith a basket strainer 4380. Zone-control unit 4000 can be cleaned byfluid or water pressure without removing basket strainer 4380. Inletpiping assembly may also be coupled with a blow down drain 4370 forbasket strainer 4380. Outlet piping assembly 4400 may be coupled with acontrol valve 4430. In the embodiment shown here, zone-control unit 4000includes a casing 4100 which may be attached with a duct or ductwork ofan HVAC system. Bracket 4500, which may include a handle, supportscasing 4100, inlet piping assembly 4300, and outlet piping assembly 4400with relative positions appropriate for use in an HVAC system or otherclimate control system. Zone-control unit 4000 may also include a customdigital imaging tag 4130 or custom PC router tag or validation package4120 containing information regarding the configuration or manufactureof the unit. Information may be provided in electronic or paper format,and may include submittal information, O&M's of unit components, digitalpictures of the product or components, QC sheets, wiring and pipingdiagrams, parts lists with model numbers and serial numbers, and thelike. In some cases, a coil or heat exchanger, an inlet piping, and anoutlet piping can form a closed and sealed system. In some cases, a coilor heat exchanger, a inlet piping, and the outlet piping can contain apressurized fluid. Optionally, one or more headers may be coupled with acoil or heat exchanger, and form part of the sealed and pressurizedspace.

FIG. 16 illustrates a side view of a zone-control unit 5000 for use inan IVAC system, according to one embodiment of the present invention.Zone-control unit 5000 includes a duct or casing 5100, a thermaltransfer unit (not shown), an inlet piping assembly 5300, an outletpiping assembly 5400, and at least one bracket 5500. Zone-control unit5000 also includes a housing 5900 coupled with casing 5100, such thathousing 5900 encompasses ATC valve (not shown) and other components ofzone-control unit 5000 as described elsewhere herein. For comparativereference with other figures of the present disclosure, zone-controlunit 5000 is depicted here showing a vent 5230, a drain valve 5330, aninlet piping assembly second passage 5320 and an outlet piping assemblysecond passage 5420. A housing cover 5910 of housing 5900 may have anaperture 5920 through which bracket 5500 may extend, or through whichbracket 5500 may be otherwise accessible via an operator's hands, aforklift, or other maneuvering apparatus used during transportation,shipping, or installation. Zone-control unit 5000 may also have avalidation package 4120, which may include a digital picture of thezone-control unit 5000 or components thereof, a quality control sheet,an operations and maintenance document, a parts list with model andserial numbers, an Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) certification, or a piping,electrical, and controls schematic, or any combination thereof. Thesecomponents of validation package 4120 may be stored in a plastic pouchand attached with unit 6000. It is appreciated therefore that thepresent invention can be conveniently tested, validated, standardized,cataloged, and certified prior to shipping or installation.

FIG. 17 illustrates a side view of a zone-control unit 6000 for use inan HVAC system, according to one embodiment of the present invention. Inmany ways, the embodiment shown in FIG. 17 is similar to that shown inFIG. 16. Zone-control unit 6000 includes a duct or casing 6100, an inletpiping assembly 6300, an outlet piping assembly 6400, and at least onebracket 6500. Zone-control unit 6000 also includes a housing 6900coupled with casing 6100, such that housing 6900 encompasses variouscomponents of zone-control unit 6000 as described elsewhere herein, andto avoid prolixity are not described in detail here. The zone-controlunit 6000 embodiment shown in FIG. 17 differs from the zone-control unit5000 shown in FIG. 16, however, in a housing cover (not shown) ofzone-control unit 6000 is removed, thereby exposing various elementscontained in housing 6900. In some embodiments, the zone-control unitcomplies with a standard such as a Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design (LEED) standard, an American Society of Heating,Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standard, anAir-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) standard, or abuilding code standard, or any combination thereof. Zone-control unit6000 may be a capital piece of equipment, depreciable, and can bestocked by local distributors anywhere in the world as an “off theshelf” product. Zone-control unit 6000 is well suited for installationin a new HVAC system, or for retrofit in an existing HVAC system. It isalso appreciated that the present invention also provides for themanufacture and installation of the zone-control units discussed herein.Such manufacture will often occur remotely from a job installation site,and may be performed by a union member selected from the groupconsisting of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices ofthe Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada,the construction sheet metal union, and the electrical union. In otherembodiments, such union(s) may certify the fabrication site and/orsupplier as being in compliance with the applicable union rules, thatuse of certain catalogued HVAC units complies with applicable unionrequirements and/or does not constitute a customized product so asviolate work preservation rules. Relatedly, zone-control units orcomponents thereof may be constructed by a manufacturing facility thatis a signatory to any of these unions. Such manufacturing facilities mayalso have an Underwriter's Laboratory certification. Accordingly,zone-control units may include or be affixed with certain union,standards, or certification compliance labels.

FIGS. 18A-18E illustrate a heat exchanger coil 7000 packaged withcomponents similar to those described above, with some or all of thecomponents supported by support structures or handles. The heatexchanger coil, piping, valves, and/or valve controllers may bepre-assembled prior to shipping to a construction job site, with some orall of the assembly optionally being performed using robotic fabricationtechniques and systems. The support structures or handles can facilitatehandling and installation of the assembled unit, protect the unit andcomponents thereof during shipping, and may also be used to support theunit after installation. The piping may terminate with sealed pipingstubs during shipping and installation, with a pressure sensor and gaugeallowing quick verification of the piping assembly integrity. Along withheat exchanger/coil units, other HVAC units such as fan coil units andthe like may benefit from the systems and methods described herein.Standardization, quality control and tracking, and other improvedstructures and method described herein may also be implemented with suchunits. In some cases, a coil or heat exchanger, an inlet piping, and anoutlet piping can form a closed and sealed system. In some cases, a coilor heat exchanger, a inlet piping, and the outlet piping can contain apressurized fluid.

FIGS. 19A-19B generally illustrate standardization of components indiffering HVAC units. Rather than attempting to minimize the costs ofindividual components of the many HVAC units in an HVAC system (whichcan lead to extensive on-site work, delays, and large installation laborcosts), overall system installation efficiencies can be enhanced throughthe use of more standardized components, even if those components havecapacities that exceed the requirements of some units.

Proportional valves (including those having characteristics similar tothose graphically illustrated in FIG. 19A, such as the Belimo™ PICCVpressure independent proportional ball valve) and the like canfacilitate integration of a single type of HVAC unit in multiplelocations having differing specifications, tailoring the functioning ofthe unit by though appropriate use of the electronic controllersoftware. FIG. 19B illustrates an HVAC hot water coil piping packageunit 8000, while FIGS. 12A and 13A illustrate an HVAC proportional hotwater valve package unit and a 2 way water valve package unit,respectively. FIG. 12B illustrates a support structure or handle whichmay be used in both, and FIG. 14A illustrates a 3 way water valvepackage unit. Despite the significant differences between these units,many, most, or all of the components (including piping components) maybe common, with the aspect ratio of the piping optionally beingidentical. In some embodiments, zone-control units or heat exchanges canhave pipe components with dimensions or configurations that arestandardized or customized. For example, zone-control units can bemanufactured to provide spun copper caps that are of a standard lengthor dimension, that are separated by a standard distance, and that areoriented in a standard direction. Relatedly, zone-control units can bemanufactured to provide piping assemblies, pipes, and other pipingaspects that conform with a prescribed specification. In some cases,pipe components such as piping assemblies or end caps can have equal orotherwise prescribed lengths, or can spaced apart from each other atcertain known or predetermined distances. Similarly, zone-control unitscan be configured so as to provide a standardized or customized distancebetween the piping assemblies of a single unit. Accordingly, sets of twoor more zone-control units can be manufactured according to certainpiping component specifications (e.g. length, dimension, orientation,and the like). Such standardization or customization can be applied toany of a variety of sizes and configurations of zone-control units orheat exchangers, and can provide heretofore unrecognized advantages andefficiencies in building construction and repair. For example, multiplezone-control units, each having a different size and configuration, canbe manufactured having a standardized distance between piping assembliesor end caps, or between central longitudinal axes defined by suchcomponents.

FIG. 20 illustrates engagement between the support structure or handle9000 mounted to an HVAC unit and another similar corresponding supportstructure, allowing the support structures to be used as mountingfasteners. A plurality of different configurations of support structurescan be provided with different sizes, different numbers, sizes, andconfigurations of holes and grommets for receiving piping, and the like.One or more supports may be secured to a joist, beam, or other buildingstructure where the HVAC unit is to be installed. The unit supportstructure or handle is then lifted into engagement with the securedsupport(s), and the engaging surface at least temporarily “hanging” ormaintaining the position of the HVAC unit. Fasteners may then affix thecorresponding engaged support structures together to provide a secureand/or permanent installation. Deformable damping materials such asrubber, neoprene, resilient polymers, or the like along one or both ofthe engaging support surfaces can provide vibration and/or soundisolation. The support structures or handles may comprise carbon fiber,stainless steel, aluminum, plastic, or the like, and the engagingsupport structures may have similar shapes (as shown) or differentshapes.

FIGS. 21A and 21B illustrate methods for testing and validation of HVACunits. HVAC units. Unit ordering and fabrication can be automated, andtesting of piping by pressurizing piping assemblies, sealing, andverifying an acceptable pressure is maintained after a test period (forexample, 24 hours) ensures leak-free fabrication. Any re-work can beidentified and completed prior to shipping to a constructions site, andquality control documentation (optionally comprising a magnetic mediasuch as a floppy disk, an optical media such as a mini CD, a memory suchas a flash memory stick, or some other tangible media embodying machinereadable computer data, a print-out, a digital photograph, and/or thelike) can be associated with each unit to validate the components andtesting. In some embodiments, such quality control may be integratedinto the HVAC signal transmission system so as to facilitate remotevalidation via LAN conductors or a wireless network system, and/orradiofrequency identification or RFID techniques and structures may beemployed.

FIG. 22 shows a control assembly 22000 for an HVAC system according toone embodiment of the present invention. Control assembly 22000 includesa controller 22100, a LAN 22200, a front end computer software 22300, aremote monitoring component 2240, and a thermostat or room sensor 22700.Control assembly 22000 may also receive a variety of inputs 22500 from,and transmit a variety of outputs 22600 to, a zone control unit or otherHVAC component such as a proportional hot water valve package (PICCV), atwo way water valve package (CCV), and the like. In some cases, controlassembly 22000 can be in operative association with, for example, afactory precalibrated self balancing zone control unit or heatexchanger. Zone control units can include pressure/temperature ports,discharge air sensors, analog or digital pressure gauges, temperatureresistors, and the like which can provide input to controller 22100.Similarly, controller 22100 can provide output to various components ofa zone control unit, such as proportional actuators. Theseinterconnectivities can allow a zone control unit to regulate pressureautomatically. In some cases, a thermostat or room sensor 22700 may havea setpoint, and contain a digital display for showing pressure, gpm,space temperature, leaving air temperature, setpoint, and the like.Often these attributes or aspects thereof are transmitted fromcontroller 22100 to thermostat 22700. Relatedly, room temperature,setpoints, and other variables can be transmitted from thermostat 22700to controller 22100. Connectivity between various components of controlassembly 22000, and between components of control assembly 22000 andother HVAC components, can be hardwired, wireless, or a combinationthereof.

In one embodiment, a zone control unit includes a Belimo PICCV pressureindependent automatic control valve or other pressure independentbalancing valve on a heat exchanger such that water field balancing iseliminated or reduced. Components and sensors can be pre-calibrated atthe factory. A sensor can be mounted in a plenum near the heat exchangerthat senses leaving air temperature, pressure, and other variables. Theplenum can be added at the factory. A room sensor or thermostat can bemounted in a desired room or zone. Controllers such as a DDC controllercan be used with this system, and can be mounted, wired andpre-programmed at the factory. The controller can take inputs from thevarious sensors that are pre-wired to the controller at the factory. Anexemplary sequence of operation can be described as follows. Thetemperature in the room is 70° F. and the occupant wishes to raise thetemperature to 72° F. by adjusting the room sensor or thermostat to thedesired set point. That signal is sent to the DDC controller. Theleaving air temperature sensor senses or reads 70° F. at a heatexchanger discharge, and provides an input signal to the DDC controller.The DDC controller processes the two inputs: the room sensor and theleaving air sensor. The controller then sends a signal to the actuatoron the automatic temperature control (ATC) valve actuator to open thevalve and increase the gpm flow to heat exchanger coil thus raising theleaving air temperature (LAT) to an effective set point (e.g. 74° F.)until the room sensor measures the room air at 72° F. A balancing valvecan be pressure independent and set at the factory so as to maintain agpm regardless of pressure. In some cases, if more flow or hotter wateris needed, a controller can send signals to a computer with front endsoftware, and the computer can send signals to pumps or a boiler toadjust the temperature or gpm. Once the room sensor measures the desiredset point, the controller closes the ATC valve thus limiting thegpm/flow through the heat exchanger device and maintaining the desiredset point to extreme or programmed tolerances. This sequence ofoperation can occur every second. If the room temperature sways in anydirection by even 0.01° F. or less, the LAT temperature can be adjustedimmediately at the heat exchanger to maintain the desired temperature.This process can save significant amounts of energy, can control thespace temperature precisely, can provide for better indoor air quality,and can qualify the system for LEED building points/Green buildinginitiative. Furthermore, the entire water side of the system can becompletely self balancing. The need for technicians to go to the jobsite and balance, calibrate, take readings, and the like can beeliminated or reduced. Regulation can be accomplished through thebuilding automation control system and can be self correctingautomatically. This can be accomplished by providing a portable pipingstructure on the heat exchanger, which confers the ability to ship theheat exchanger with the portable piping structure attached, withoutincurring damage. By doing this, it is possible to add these featuresand benefits, including pre-calibration and pre-programming, to theportable piping structure of the heat exchanger on a cost effectivebasis, and also to associated products into which heat exchangers areinstalled. Similarly, it is possible to add these features and benefitsto stand alone heat exchangers.

These approaches are well suited for a variety of environments,including biotech laboratories, clean rooms, offices, and the like.These techniques can provide for constant, realtime adjustments tomaintain desired setpoints. Embodiments disclosed herein can be used toreplace or reduce the need for manual balancing, and can modulate ATCvalves to keep gpm appropriately adjusted.

FIG. 23 shows an embodiment of a zone control unit or heat exchangersmart control configuration 23000. Configurations such as these can beused for one or more zones or products. A controller 23100, whichoptionally includes a read out or display, receives input from liquidsensors 23200 such as flow sensors, pressure sensors, and the like.Controller 23100 also receives input from air sensors 23300 such asleaving air temperature sensors, pressure sensors, and the like.Controller 23100 can provide output to an air damper actuator 23400, aliquid valve actuator 23500, or other zone control unit or heatexchanger component. Controller 23100 may also receive data from, andtransmit data to, a LAN, which may be in operative association with oneor more controllers 23700 of other devices in the building, and with acomputer 23800 containing operational software. Controller 23100 mayalso receive data from, and transmit data to, a thermostat 23900 with aroom sensor and a setpoint adjustment with read out. Thermostat 23900can display any parameter of a zone control unit or heat exchangerincluding flows, temperatures, pressures, and the like. Similarly,thermostat 23900 can display all data transmitted between controller23100 and thermostat 23900. A technician can trouble shoot thisconfiguration via readouts from thermostat 23900, controller 23100, orother components. In some embodiments, a technician can trouble shootfrom a wireless PDA which is in operative association with one or morecomponents of configuration 23000. Any parameter of configuration 23000can be set at a manufacturer's factory and can be pre-calibrated. Forexample, air and water balancing and calibration can be done at thefactory. Thereafter, any air and water balancing changes in the fieldcan be accomplished via a computer which may be remotely linked with theconfiguration. In this way, a system can be self-balancing and energyefficient. Moreover, the system exhibits improved indoor air quality(IAQ) control, comfort, and response time.

Table 1 shows an example of a PICCV pressure independent ATC valve threepoint floating with ninety second stroke time values.

TABLE 1 Set- Actu- Range point al Value Open ° F. Stroke Time .1-2 72 711 10% 75 9 70 2 20% 80 9 69 3 30% 85 9 68 4 40% 90 9 67 5 50% 95 45second stroke time 66 6 60% 100 9 65 7 70% 105 9 64 8 80% 110 9 63 9 90%115 9 62 10 100%  120 90 seconds full open

FIG. 24 shows graph of a front end mathematical calculation or algorithmbased on desired performance and time values. Units can be accordinglybench tested and pre-calibrated and balanced at the factory.

Although zone control units, thermal transfer units, and other elementsof environmental control systems discussed herein are often referred toin terms of HVAC units, it is appreciated that such zone control units,thermal transfer units, and the like may find use in any of a variety ofcontrol systems. Moreover, although transfer units are often describedas, for example, coil structures, embodiments encompassed herein includeany of a variety of transfer unit or control unit configurations. Pipingstructures and configurations disclosed herein can be used in any of avariety of heat exchanger devices, systems, or methods.

Heat exchangers can include fluid coils, steam coils, hot water coils,chilled water coils, de-humidification coils, sensible water coils, andthe like. According to some embodiments, the terms “heat exchanger” and“coil” may be used interchangeably. Heat exchangers may also encompassevaporative coolers (e.g. direct, indirect, or combination), condenserwater systems, air washers, humidifiers, plate and frame heatexchangers, shell and tube heat exchangers, and the like. Heatexchangers can transfer heat from one fluid to another, often withoutthe fluids coming in direct contact with each other. Heat transfer canoccur in a heat exchanger when a fluid changes from a liquid to a vapor(evaporator), a vapor to a liquid (condenser), or when two fluidstransfer heat without a phase change. The transfer of energy can becaused by a temperature difference. In many HVAC or heating,ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) applications,heat exchangers are selected to transfer either sensible or latent heat.Sensible heat applications involve the transfer of heat from one liquidto another. Latent heat transfer results in a phase change of one of theliquids; transferring heat to a liquid by condensing steam is a commonexample. Heat exchangers for HVAC or HVAC&R applications can includecounter-flow shell-and-tube or plate units. While both types physicallyseparate the fluids transferring heat, their construction may be verydifferent, and each can have unique application and performancequalities.

Equipment for cooling and dehumidifying an air stream under forcedconvection can incorporate a coil section that contains one or morecooling coils assembled in a coil bank arrangement. Such coil sectionscan be used as components in room terminal units, largerfactory-assembled self-contained air conditioners, central station airhandlers, and field built-up systems. In currently used approaches,applications of each coil type may be limited to the field within whichthe coil is rated. Other limitations may be imposed by coderequirements, proper choice of materials for the fluids used, theconfiguration of the air handler, and economic analysis of the possiblealternatives for each installation.

Coils can be used for heating and air cooling with or withoutaccompanying dehumidification. Examples of cooling applications withoutdehumidification include (1) pre-cooling coils that use well water orother relatively high-temperature water to reduce load on therefrigerating equipment and (2) hot water/chilled-water coils thatremove/add sensible heat from a chemical moisture-absorption apparatus.A heat pipe coil can also be used as a supplementary heat exchanger forpreconditioning in air-side sensible cooling. Coil sections can provideair sensible cooling and dehumidification simultaneously.

An HVAC coil assembly can include a means of cleaning air to protect thecoil from dirt accumulation and to keep dust and foreign matter out ofthe conditioned space. Although cooling and dehumidification are amongtheir principal functions, cooling coils can also be wetted with wateror a hygroscopic liquid to aid in air cleaning, odor absorption, orfrost prevention. Coils can also be evaporatively cooled with a waterspray to improve efficiency or capacity.

In finned coil embodiments, the external surface of the tubes isprimary, and the fin surface is secondary. The primary surface generallyconsists of rows of round tubes or pipes that may be staggered or placedin line with respect to the airflow. Flattened tubes or tubes with othernon round internal passageways can be used. The inside surface of thetubes is often smooth and plain. Some coil designs have various forms ofinternal fins or turbulence promoters (either fabricated or extruded) toenhance performance. The individual tube passes in a coil can beinterconnected by return bends through the process of brazing (orhairpin bend tubes) to form the serpentine arrangement of multi passtube circuits. Coils can include different circuit arrangements andcombinations offering varying numbers of parallel water flow passeswithin the tube core.

Cooling coils for water, aqueous glycol, brine, or halocarbonrefrigerants can have aluminum fins on copper tubes. Copper fins oncopper tubes and aluminum fins on aluminum tubes (excluding water) canalso be used. Adhesives can be used to bond header connections, returnbends, and fin-tube joints, particularly for aluminum-to-aluminumjoints. Certain coils can include an all-aluminum extruded tube-and-finsurface.

Core tube outside diameters can be 5/16, ⅜, ½, ⅝, ¾, and 1 inch, withfins spaced 4 to 18 per inch. Tube spacing can range from 0.6 to 3.0inch on equilateral (staggered) or rectangular (in-line) centers.Spacing may depend on the width of individual fins and on otherperformance considerations. Fins can be spaced according to the job tobe performed, with attention given to air friction, possibility of lintaccumulation, and frost accumulation, especially at lower temperatures.

Tube wall thickness and the use of alloys other than copper can bedetermined by the coil's working pressure and safety factor forhydrostatic burst (pressure). Maximum allowable working pressure (MAWP)for a coil can be derived, for example, according to ASME's Boiler andPressure Vessel Code, Section VIII, Division 1 and Section II (ASTMmaterial properties and stress tables). The entire contents of this codeare incorporated herein by reference. Pressure vessel safety standardscompliance and certifications of coil construction may be required byregional and local codes before field installation. Fin type and headerconstruction can also play a part in determining wall thickness andmaterial. Local job site codes and applicable nationally recognizedsafety standards can be consulted in coil design and application.

Air-cooling constructions can have a shiny aluminum air-side surface.For some applications, a fin surface may include copper or have a brownor blue-green dip-process coating. These coatings can protect the finfrom oxidation that can occur when common airborne corrosivecontaminants are diluted on a wet (dehumidifying) surface. Corrosionprotection may be important as indoor air quality (IAQ) guidelinescontinue to call for higher percentages of outside air. In some cases,baked-on or anodized coating can improve the expected service lifecompared to plain aluminum fins under similar conditions. In somesituations, uncoated fins on non-dehumidifying, dry cooling coils maynot be affected by normal ambient airborne chemicals, except, to someextent, in a saline atmosphere. Often, once a coil is installed, littlecan be done to improve air-side protection.

Incoming air stream stratification across a coil face can reduce coilperformance. Proper air distribution can be defined as having a measuredairflow anywhere on the coil face that does not vary more than 20%.Moisture carryover at a coil's air leaving side or uneven air filterloading may be an indication of uneven airflow through the coil.Corrective procedures can include installation of inlet airstraighteners or an air blender if several airstreams converge at thecoil inlet face. Additionally, in some cases condensate water should notbe allowed to saturate the duct liner or stand in the drain pan ortrough. Relatedly, in some cases the coil frame (or its bottom sheetmetal member) should not be allowed to sit in a pool of water, toprevent rusting.

Exemplary coils include water and aqueous glycol coils. In some cases,desired performance of water-type coils may involve eliminating air andwater traps in the water circuit and the proper distribution of water.Unless properly vented, air may accumulate in the coil tube circuits,reducing thermal performance and possibly causing noise or vibration inthe piping system. Air vent and drain connections are often installed inthe field at the job site on the piping components, but this typicallydoes not eliminate the need to install, operate, and maintain the coiltube core in a level position. Individual coil vents and drain plugs areoften incorporated on the ancillary field piping. Water traps in tubingof a properly leveled coil are often caused by (1) improper non drainingcircuit design and/or (2) center-of-coil downward sag. Such a situationmay cause tube failure (e.g. freeze-up in cold climates or tube erosionbecause of untreated mineralized water).

Depending on performance requirements, fluid velocity inside the tubecan range from approximately 1 to 8 fps for water and 0.5 to 6 fps forglycol. In some turbulators or grooved tube cases, in-tube velocitiesshould not exceed 4 fps. The design fluid pressure drop across the coilscan vary from about 5 to 50 ft of water head. For some nuclear HVACapplications, ASME Standard AG-1, Code on Nuclear Air and Gas Treatment,a minimum tube velocity of 2 fps may be desired or necessary. ARIStandard 410 may require a minimum of 1 fps or a Reynolds number of 3100or greater. In some cases, such configurations may yield morepredictable performance. The entire contents of these standards areincorporated herein by reference.

In some cases, the water may contain considerable sand and other foreignmatter (e.g. pre-cooling coils using well water, or where minerals inthe cooling water deposit on and foul the tube surface). It may bedesirable to filter out such sediment. Where build-up of scale depositsor fouling of the water-side surface is expected, a scale factor can beincluded when calculating thermal performance of the coils. Cupronickel,red brass, bronze, and other tube alloys can help protect againstcorrosion and erosion deterioration caused by internal fluid flowabrasive sediment. The core tubes of properly designed and installedcoils can feature circuits that (1) have equally developed line length,(2) are self-draining by gravity during the coil's off cycle, (3) havethe minimum pressure drop to aid water distribution from the supplyheader without requiring excessive pumping head, and (4) have equal feedand return by the supply and return header. Design for properin-tube-water velocity can determine the circuitry style required ordesired. Multirow coils can be circuited to the cross-counter flowarrangement and oriented for top-outlet/bottom-feed connection.

The cooling capacity of water coils can be controlled by varying eitherwater flow or airflow. Water flow can be controlled by a three-waymixing, modulating, and/or throttling valve. For airflow control, faceand bypass dampers can be used. In some cases, when cooling demanddecreases, the coil face damper starts to close, and the bypass damperopens. In some cases, airflow is varied by controlling fan capacity withspeed controls, inlet vanes, or discharge dampers. Chapter 45 of the2003 ASHRAE Handbook-HVAC Applications addresses air-cooling coilcontrol to meet system or space requirements and factors to considerwhen sizing automatic valves for water coils. The entire contents ofthis handbook are incorporated herein by reference.

In an HVAC system, the relation of the fluid flow arrangement in thecoil tubes to coil depth can influence performance of the heat transfersurface. Often, air-cooling and dehumidifying coils are multi row andcircuited for counter flow arrangement. Inlet air may be applied atright angles to the coil's tube face (coil height), which may also be atthe coil's outlet header location. Air can exit at the opposite face(side) of the coil where the corresponding inlet header is located. Insome cases, counter flow can produce the highest possible heat exchangein the shortest possible (coil row) depth, because it may have theclosest temperature relationships between tube fluid and air at each(air) side of the coil. The temperature of the entering air may moreclosely approach the temperature of the leaving air. The potential ofrealizing the highest possible mean temperature difference can thus bearranged for optimum performance. Coil hand can refers to either theright hand (RH) or left hand (LH) for counter flow arrangement of amulti row counter flow coil. A manufacturer can establish a RH or LHconvention for their own coils.

A typical arrangement of coils can be present in a field built-upcentral station system. A cooling coil (and humidifier, when used) caninclude a drain pan under each coil to catch condensate formed duringcooling (and excess water from the humidifier). A drain connection canbe downstream of the coils, be of ample size, have accessible cleanouts,and discharge to an indirect waste or storm sewer. The drain may alsoinclude a deep-seal trap so that no sewer gas can enter the system.Precautions can be taken if there is a possibility that the drain mightfreeze. The drain pan, unit casing, and water piping can be insulated toprevent sweating.

Coil design features (e.g. fin spacing, tube spacing, face height, typeof fins), together with the amount of moisture on the coil and thedegree of surface cleanliness, can determine the air velocity at whichcondensed moisture blows off the coil. Often, condensate water begins tobe blown off a plate fin coil face at air velocities above 600 fpm. Itmay be desirable to prevent water blow off from coils into air ductworkexternal to the air-conditioning unit. However, water blow off may notbe a problem if coil fin heights are limited to, for example 45 inches,and the unit is set up to catch and dispose of condensates.

When selecting a coil, various factors can be considered. Jobrequirements may involve cooling, dehumidifying, and the capacityrequired to properly balance with other system components (e.g.,compressor equipment in the case of direct-expansion coils). Factors mayalso encompass entering air dry-bulb and wet-bulb temperatures,available cooling media and operating temperatures, space anddimensional limitations, air and cooling fluid quantities, includingdistribution and limitations. Factors may also include allowablefrictional resistances in air circuit (including coils), allowablefrictional resistances in cooling media piping system (including coils),characteristics of individual coil designs and circuitry possibilities,individual installation requirements such as type of automatic controlto be used, the presence of a corrosive atmosphere, any designpressures, and the durability of tube, fins, and frame material.

A cooling coil's airflow resistance (air friction) may depend on thetube pattern and fin geometry (tube size and spacing, fin configuration,and number of in-line or staggered rows), coil face velocity, and amountof moisture on the coil. The coil air friction may also be affected bythe degree of aerodynamic cleanliness of the coils core. Burrs on finedges may increase coils friction and increase the tendency to pocketdirect of lint on the faces. A completely dry coil, removing onlysensible heat, may offers approximately one-third less resistance toairflow than a dehumidifying coil removing both sensible and latentheat. For a given surface and airflow, increasing the number of row orfins often increases airflow resistance. Therefore, final selection caninvolve economic balancing of the initial cost of the coil against theoperating costs of the coil geometry, combinations available toadequately meet the performance requirements.

The heat transmission rate of air passing over a clean tube (with orwithout extended surface) to a fluid flowing within it may be impeded bycertain thermal resistances: (1) surface air-side film thermalresistance from the air to the surface of the exterior fin and tubeassembly, (2) metal thermal resistance to heat conductance through theexterior fin and tube assembly, and (3) in-tube fluid-side film thermalresistance, which impedes heat flow between the internal surface of theinternal metal and the fluid flowing within the tube. For someapplications, an additional thermal resistance can be factored in toaccount for external and/or internal surface fouling. Often, thecombination of metal and tube-side film resistance is considerably lowerthan the air-side surface resistance.

Valves are often embodied by manual or automatic fluid-controllingelements in a piping system. Valves can be constructed to withstand aspecific range of temperature, pressure corrosion, and mechanicalstress. Valves can function to start, stop, and direct flow. Valves canalso regulate, control, or throttle flow. Moreover, valves can preventbackflow, and can relieve or regulate pressure.

Any of a variety of service conditions can be considered when specifyingor selecting a valve. A type of valve desired may depend on whether afluid is liquid, vapor, or gas. A valve may be selected on the basis ofwhether the fluid is a true fluid or whether it contains solids. Theselection may depend on whether the fluid remains a liquid throughoutits flow, or whether it vaporizes. The selection may depend on whetherthe fluid is corrosive or erosive. Similarly, the selection can dependon the pressure and temperature of the fluid, and whether theseparameters vary in the system. In some cases, the selection for thevalve or valve material may depend on whether a worst case (e.g. maximumor minimum values) is considered. Flow considerations may also be takeninto account. A valve selection may depend on whether a pressure drop iscritical. In some cases, a valve design can be chosen for maximum wear.Other criteria involve whether the valve is used for simple shutoff orfor throttling flow, whether the valve is used to prevent backflow, andwhether the valve is used for directing (e.g. mixing or diverting) flow.The frequency of operation may also have an impact on valve selection.Criteria can involve whether the valve is operated frequently, whetherthe valve is normally open with infrequent operation, and whether thevalve operation is manual or automatic.

A ball valve often includes a precision ball held between two circularseals or seats. Ball valves can have various port sizes. A 90 degreeturn of the handle can change operation from fully open to fully closed.Ball valves for shutoff service may be fully ported. Ball valves forthrottling or controlling and/or balancing service can have a reducedport with a plated ball and valve handle memory stop. Ball valves may beon one-, two-, or three-piece body design.

Automatic valves can be considered as control valves that operate inconjunction with an automatic controller or device to control the fluidflow. The “control valve” as used here can include a valve body and anactuator. The valve body and actuator may be designed so that theactuator is removable and/or replaceable, or the actuator may be anintegral part of the valve body.

Computer-based control of automatic control valves can provide manybenefits, including speed, accuracy, and data communication. Often, careshould be exercised in selecting the value of control loop parameterssuch as loop speed and dead band (allowable set-point deviation). Insome cases, high loop speed coupled with zero dead band can cause thevalve-actuator to seek a new control position with each control loopcycle unless the actuator itself has some type of built-in protectionagainst this. For example, a 1 s control loop with zero dead band canresult in 30,000,000 repositions (corrections) in 1 year of service.Generally, valves control the flow of fluids by an actuator, which canmove a stem with an attached plug. A plug can seat within the valve portand against the valve seat with a composition disk or metal-to-metalseating. Based on the geometry of the plug, distinct flow conditions canbe developed.

Automatically controlled valves can be applied to control many differentvariables, including temperature, humidity, flow, and pressure. In somecases, a valve can be used directly to control flow or pressure. In somecases, when flow is controlled, a pressure drop is implied, and whenpressure is controlled, some maximum flow rate is implied. These twofactors can be considered in selecting control valves. Control valvescan be used with hot water, chilled water, steam, and virtually anyfluid. The fluid characteristics can be considered in selectingmaterials for the valve. In some cases, requirements may be strict foruse with high-temperature water and high-pressure steam.

Approaches for balancing hydronic systems include (1) a manual valvewith integral pressure taps and a calibrated port, which permits fieldproportional balancing to the deign flow conditions, and (2) anautomatic flow-limiting valve selected to limit the circuit's maximumflow to the design flow. Manual balancing valves can be provided withvarious features, such as manually adjustable stems for valve portopening or a combination of a venturi or orifice and an adjustablevalve, a stem indicator and/or scale to indicate the relative amount ofvalve opening, pressure taps to provide readout of the pressuredifference across the valve port or the venture/orifice, the capabilityto be used as a shutoff for future service of the heat transferterminal, a locking device for field setting the maximum opening of avalve, or a body tapped for attaching drain hose.

Embodiments encompass automatic flow-limiting valves and pressureindependent valves. A differential pressure-actuated flow valve, alsocalled an automatic flow-limiting valve, can regulate the flow of fluidto a preset value when the differential pressure across it is varied.This regulation (1) helps prevent an overflow condition in the circuitwhere it is installed and (2) aids the overall system balance when othercomponents are changing (modulating valves, pump staging, etc.). Often,the valve body contains a moving element containing an orifice, whichadjusts itself based on pressure forces so that the flow passage areavaries. A balancing valve can include a flow control device that isselected for a lower pressure drop than an automatic control valve (e.g.5 to 10% of the available system pressure). Selection of any controlvalve can be based on the pressure drop at maximum (design) flow toensure that the valve provides control at all flow rates. A properlyselected balancing valve can proportionally balance flow to its terminalwith flow to the adjacent terminal in the same distribution zone.

In current HVAC approaches, various types of heat exchangers can bemanufactured as discussed above to transfer heat. The components tocontrol/regulate the heat transfer rate and to filter the fluid are madeby various other manufacturers. Often, these other components areinstalled, tested, and calibrated in the field at the project location.Heat exchangers such as coils can ship stand-alone to a project site andbe incorporated into the HVAC system or/and shipped to a productmanufacturer where the coil is inserted into the product. Then theproduct is shipped to the project destination, where the “other” pipingcomponents are installed at the project location. Some of these otherpiping components include control valves/automatic temperature controlsvalves supplied by the Controls Contractor. The Controls Contractor hasa contract to install all the building automation controls (BAS) in thebuilding. There are several large Controls companies including Johnson,Siemens, and Honeywell, and the like. Temperature sensors, pressuresensors and other control instrumentation are typically supplied by theControls Contractor who has a contract to install all the buildingautomation controls (BAS) in the building. Balancing valves, includingautomatic type (pressure independent) and manual balancing valves aresupplied by a water side sales representative and sold directly to thePiping Contractor. There are several manufacturers of balancing valvessuch as Griswold, Flow design, Nexus, and the like. Isolation valves,drains, air vents and other ancillary piping components are supplied bya water side sales representative and sold directly to the PipingContractor. There are several manufacturers of these types of productssuch as Nibco, Gerhard, and the like. Strainers and other ancillarycomponents to filter out containments in the water are supplied by awater side sales representative and sold directly to the PipingContractor. The Contractor acts as the systems integrator and tries toassemble all the components in the field with various union labor tradessuch as the Pipefitters union, the Sheet metal union, the Electriciansunion, and the like. The Contractor is interested in maximizing hisprofit and therefore always buys the most economic products per job byvarious manufacturers. Each project uses different manufacturersdepending on which manufacturer meets the job specifications and is themost economical. The fact the Contractor buys on low price does notallow him to over design/engineer a product that meets the majority ofthe specifications. Additionally, the Contractor is not a manufacturer.The end product is non-catalogued components assembled with nouniformity, standardization of part numbers, nomenclature, drawings,model numbers, test data, and the like. There is no standardization ofthe end product form one project to the other. The coils and ancillaryfield piping components are in the mature/decline stage of the productlife cycle. The emphasis is on cutting production costs, low price andnot on innovations. The fact that the market for the final product issegmented by niche manufacturers makes it more difficult to innovate.The fact the unions have work preservation rights upheld by the SupremeCourt does not allow innovation of the ancillary components and coils.Absent the advantages provided by embodiments of the present invention,shipping damage of the field components integrated on to a coil could becost prohibitive. Multiple piping configurations currently exist foreach product based on the project making it difficult for universalstandardization. Contractors pay 60%+over OEM/factory costs. Thereforethe smallest item that is something all the owners would like becomescost prohibitive for the Contractor to offer. Whereas according toembodiments of the present invention, it is possible to include thisbenefit for a nominal cost and therefore meet 95% of all specificationsand projects by over designing the product. Coil manufacturers currentlyand in the past typically could not ship a portable piping assemblyattached to the coil with all the ancillary components attached withoutdamaging the ancillary components. Or if tried, it was cost prohibitiveand they still had damage of the product and no standardization ofancillary components. Thus, manufacturing coils with ancillarycomponents attached was is cost prohibitive. Many people in the industrydo not understand how all the various components work together. Thereare typically experts for each HVAC segment but seldom does anyoneunderstand how all the various segments work together, including the Wetside, Air side, Controls, Mechanical & Electrical Engineering andInstallation of final product by various Contractors, such as wet side,air side, controls, and the like. Mechanical Engineers attend collegefor 5 years to learn how to design a project. Union tradesmen attend a 5year apprentice program to learn how to install the various componentsrequired in completing a building project in a timely manner.Manufacturers focus on product design and manufacturing for theirparticular product/niche. There are multiple industrial applicationssuch as biotech, hospital, commercial, hi rise, campus, hotel, and thelike, requiring various designs and installation techniques. Heretofore,advances in technology have not been integrated into product designs asdisclosed herein for example due to the segmented market segments. Incommonly known approaches, coils can be made then installed on a finalproduct such as an air handling unit, fan coil unit, VAV terminal unit,or a fan powered terminal unit. These units are then shipped to thefield by the manufacturer. The ancillary piping components to controlflow to the coil and temperature output of the coil are installed by theContractor in the field due to the above referenced factors, such asunions, shipping problems, shipping damage, segmented market, productsin the decline/mature stage of the product life cycle, variousperformance specifications and job requirements for each constructionproject. Currently, balancing valves are field installed and are used asa way to fix the flow. Manual balancing valves are field adjusted bywater balancing technicians. Automatic/pressure independent balancingvalves maintain the specified GPM regardless of the pressure drop acrossthe coil.

Embodiments of the present invention provide for the embedding ofancillary components directly onto the coil or heat exchanger itself.Ancillary components include components that control performance, inputsand outputs, instrumentation, and components that filter the water andkeep it free from sediments such as strainers, control valves, pressuretemperature ports, sensors, balancing valves, isolation valves, and thelike. Ancillary components can be embedded onto a heat exchanger, andshipped to the jobsite, or placed into another piece of equipment suchas an air handler, a fan coil unit, a VAV box, and the like.

Embodiments of the present invention provide for the over design of abase product offering so that it can meet the majority of all projectspecifications. This allows for the mass production of a product in avery cost efficient way. The standardization of components allows forthe purchase of components at a substantially lower price than aContractor on an OEM basis. The standardization allows for catalogingand validation of the product. Embodiments encompass set operational andmaintenance manuals for the product, and the like. Bracket and supports,in house testing/calibration, QC and shipping procedures allow theproduct to be shipped 100% defect free every time at a very costefficient manner.

In some embodiments, direct digital microprocessor controllers can bedirectly installed on or coupled with a coil. For example, embodimentsencompass making a slight modification to a coil casing and installing adirect digital microprocessor controller with multiple input and outputswith their own Internet addressable points directly on the coil. The DDCmicroprocessor and its components can be hard wired or wireless. It canbe programmed with multiple programming languages allowing it tocommunicate with various BAS systems manufactured by different vendors.

Embodiments of the present invention also encompass coil performancecontrol without a balancing valve. For example, it is possible toeliminate the need for a balancing valve which is currently used tocontrol the performance of a coil. In an exemplary embodiment, a leavingair temperature sensor can be installed downstream of the coil and wiredback to DDC controller. A room sensor/thermostat can be wired to the DDCmicroprocessor and resides in the actual room. A manual air vent can beinstalled at the highest point of the coil. A strainer is installed, adrain is installed, and isolation valves are installed. No balancingvalves are now needed. A flow limiter is installed on the automatictemperature control valve to limit the maximum flow allowable to the ATCvalve. The actuator which is part of the ATC valve receives a signalfrom the DDC microprocessor which tells it how much to open and close.The actuator controls the valve that opens and closes and controls theamount of flow into the coil and thus controls the MBH output of thecoil. A temperature differential between the room sensor and the leavingair temperature can determine how much water is allowed into the coilvia the ATC valve and the MBH output of the coil. The DDC microprocessorcan control the ATC valve with data it is receiving from the leaving airtemperature sensor and the room sensor. An algorithm can be written,pre-programmed to determine the range or tolerances or other operatingparameters of the components. Optionally, input and output for suchalgorithms may be based on psychrometric principles. A variablefrequency drive/inverter (VFD) can be added to the pumps to control theoverall flow of the system based on various performance parameters. TheVFD can tie into the BAS system as does the DDC microprocessor and itsinputs and outputs can be embedded on the coils. Water balancing can beeliminated or substantially minimized as the BAS system is now thebalancer. Manual balancing valves and pressure independent balancingvalves can be excluded. An advantage of the pressure independentbalancing valves is that no matter what the pressure drop is at thecoil, the pressure independent balancing valve can maintain the samegallons per minute through the coil as is required or desired. This isaccomplished by various ways depending on the manufacturer of thepressure independent balancing valve.

In some embodiments, the pressure drop through the coil/system may beirrelevant or of minimal impact because the flow can be controlled basedoff of set point. In some cases, if the coil mbh is currently at setpoint and the pressure increases the gpm decreases, thus the mbhdecreases below the required set point. A signal is sent to the ATCvalve and the valve opens until the flow going through the coil reachesthe leaving air temperature set point. This can happen on one or morezones instantaneously. By eliminating the balancing valves from thecoils the pressure drop is reduced and less pump energy is needed topump the water through out the system. In some cases, the initial waterbalancing set up is eliminated or substantially reduced at a savings ofan average of about $100,000.00.

Superior Indoor Air quality can be achieved as everyone with athermostat can now have the desired comfort they require. In addition,the set point required by the room occupant can be maintained to thedesired set point to very tight tolerances with little to nofluctuations in the room temperature set point. In some cases, LEEDpoints are awarded. More zones can be added into a building as theembodiments disclosed herein are extremely cost effective. By addingmore zones into a building, more people get their own thermostats andcontrol of their individual environment. Currently, 1 thermostat/zonecan control 10 offices, for example.

In some embodiments, a server may accumulate data received from wirelesstransmitters and sensors placed at various locations on an HVAC system.Variables such as gpm, btu, output, pressure drop, and the like can bemonitored, along with data from the coil or heat exchanger. A processoror controller can adjust system operating parameters based on such data.

In some embodiments, the system is depreciable to the building owner. Incomparison, many known approaches that involve field labor to assemblethe various components are not depreciable.

In some embodiments, coils can be constructed with press fittings.Often, known coils are brazed at the joints. Press fittings can use an oring or some sort of seal. The press fitting can slip over the coppertube and a tool can be used which is set at the specified psi requiredto press the fitting and the seal around the copper pipe forming a bondand a waterproof seal. A coil can thus be made with these press fittingsand eliminate the need for brazing of the copper. The coil can be leadfree.

In some embodiments, a coil with one or more of the above referencedcomponents, such as a DDC microprocessor, can ship with a damper. A VAVbox can have a damper, pressure probe, and a heating coil. The damperand the probe can be encased in galvanized metal. The coil can beattached to the VAV box by a flanged connection and screws or slip anddrive connections. This complete assembly can then be installed at thejobsite. It can be hung and connected to the ductwork. By shipping thecoil direct to the project with one or more of the referencedinnovations and the damper attached/wired to the DDC microprocessor, theContractor can slip the coil assembly into the galvanized duct, cut asmall straight hole in the duct upstream of the coil, inserts the damperassembly with a sensor into the duct, and screw in the base of thedamper to the duct and seal the small duct opening.

Embodiments of the present invention can provide simple and costeffective solution to some currently used VAV boxes. Embodiments canalso provide an effective application for retrofit of existing systems.HVAC piping assemblies and other manufactures can be factory calibratedand tested at the factory. A DDC microprocessor can be addressed andpre-programmed further reducing field labor time. With mass productionof products, they can ship to the job site exceeding constructionschedule. Contractors can use a fixed labor pool to install units versusassembling them. This can make the Contractor more efficient andprofitable. Thus, a lower overall cost savings is provided to thebuilding owner.

In some embodiments, one or more brackets can function as a pipingsupport for a portable piping structure. It meets or exceeds allbuilding codes and therefore no additional “support” of the pipingstructure is required in the field/project by stationary type brackets,Unistrut®, and the like, once the heat exchanger is installed. Incontrast, in many current approaches all the piping and accessories thathook up to the heat exchanger/coil must be field supported at the jobsite by various fasteners attached to the building structure.

FIG. 25 depicts an HVAC component assembly 25000 according toembodiments of the present invention. Assembly 25000 can include a ductthat provides an airflow passage. The assembly may also include a heatexchanger having or coupled with an ATC valve, a galvanized casing, anda microprocessor. The microprocessor can have connectivity with aleaving air temperature sensor, a room sensor, and a LAN. Themicroprocessor can also have connectivity with the ATC valve and adamper. A damper can include an actuator and a sensor. The damper can beshipped with the heat exchanger or coil and installed in the field. Theheat exchanger can be pre-piped, pre-wired, pre-programmed,pre-calibrated, and the like. The heat exchanger can ship with minimalor no defects. The heat exchanger can provide “plug and play”connectivity with an HVAC system.

FIGS. 26 and 27 show HVAC component assemblies according to embodimentsof the present invention. FIGS. 28A-28C illustrate various views of anHVAC unit assembly according to embodiments of the present invention.Such manufactures can include a portable piping shipping bracket withpiping grommets and a handle. In some embodiments, a casing or duct canpartially or completely enclose a portable piping structure. In someembodiments, the manufacture does not include a handle. Optionally, amanufacture may include handles at various locations. Manufactures mayinclude one or more grommets, which may be spaced in an ordered orrandom fashion. In some embodiments, a portable piping shipping bracketcan be a single sided bracket, a two sided bracket, a three sidedbracket, a four sided bracket, a five sided bracket, a six sidedbracket, a seven sided bracket, an eight sided bracket, or the like. Abracket may provide up to 100 percent enclosure of a piping structure.In some cases, a shipping bracket can have cut-outs or apertures thatallow for access to certain components or accessories associated with aportable piping structure. In some embodiments, a bracket may include asingle flat piece of aluminum with grommets, and may be secured to acoil casing, heat exchanger duct, or other enclosure. In some cases, acoil casing may be extended to allow for improved support and protectionof portable piping structure components. Embodiments also encompassinsulation features coupled with the manufacture, and any desired aspectratio option or component option. Advantageously, bracket embodimentscan eliminate the need for individual support of piping components orportable piping structure features at or during transport to thejobsite. Enclosures, casings, or ducts may include handles, or may bedevoid of handles. Enclosures may include grommets, or may be devoid ofgrommets. In some embodiments, an enclosure may include a fullcomplement of sides. For example, a rectangular box enclosure mayinclude 6 sides. In some embodiments, an enclosure may include less thana full complement of sides. For example a cube shaped enclosure mayinclude only five sides, or in some embodiments it may include only foursides. Optionally, an enclosure may include a partial side. FIG. 29shows a portable piping structure supported and protected by a singlesided bracket.

FIGS. 30A-30C illustrate various views of an HVAC unit assembly bracketaccording to embodiments of the present invention. In some cases, suchbrackets can provide a universal hanging bracket. Bracket embodimentscan be adjustable on a piping structure or duct or other HVAC unitcomponent by sliding the bracket back and forth. In some cases, thebracket can be built with hinges at one or more corners for shipping thebracket loose. Optionally, seismic aircraft cables with I bolts can shipon the bracket. Brackets can be standardized to balance loads, such ashorizontal loads. A bracket may be coupled with a handle. In someembodiments, a handle may be provided on a separate piece. Handles canbe mounted to the frame or any other feature by a fastening system suchas bolts or screws. In some embodiments, bracket frames such as theseprovide an adjustable aspect ratio for the handle and system.

Currently, heating and cooling coils manufactured for use in VAV boxes,fan coils, air handling units (AHU's), or for stand alone applicationsoften have the inlet and outlet of the supply and return fluid lines atthe very top and bottom of the coil piping assembly. That is, the inletsand the outlet of the coils are located at the top and bottom of thecoils. In this way, as the size of the coil increases, so does thedistance between the coil inlet and outlet openings. Embodiments of thepresent invention provide a coil or thermal transfer unit having aninlet and outlet which are spaced apart from each other at a standard orknown distance. Hence, a large coil can have a configuration where theinlet and outlet are separated by a standard distance, and a small coilcan have a configuration where the inlet and outlet are separated by thesame standard distance. In one exemplary embodiment, the standarddistance between a coil inlet and outlet is six inches on center. Inother embodiments, the standard distance between a coil inlet and outletcan be four inches on center, eight inches on center, twelve inches oncenter, and the like. Embodiments of the present invention also providehandles, brackets, and the like having apertures separated by a standarddistance. For example, a standard distance between a first aperture anda second aperture can be six inches on center. In other embodiments, thestandard distance between a first aperture and a second aperture can befour inches on center, eight inches on center, twelve inches on center,and the like. These distances may refer to the distance between theactual components (e.g. pipe or aperture) or the distance betweencentral longitudinal axes defined by such components, for example.

Embodiments of the present invention encompass methods of manufacturingone or a plurality of portable piping structures. As depicted in FIG.31A, exemplary embodiments may include providing a first heat exchangecoil 3110 a having a first dimension such as a width W₁, and a secondheat exchange coil 3120 a having a second dimension such as a width W₂.The first heat exchange coil may have an inlet pipe 3112 a defining acentral longitudinal axis 3116 a and an outlet pipe 3114 a defining acentral longitudinal axis 3118 a. Central longitudinal axis 3116 a andcentral longitudinal axis 3118 a are separated by a distance of D₁. Thesecond heat exchange coil may have an inlet pipe 3122 a defining acentral longitudinal axis 3126 a and an outlet pipe 3124 a defining acentral longitudinal axis 3128 a. Central longitudinal axis 3126 a andcentral longitudinal axis 3128 a are separated by a distance of D₂. Insome embodiments, distance D₁ is equal to distance D₂.

As depicted in FIG. 31B, exemplary embodiments may include coupling afirst inlet piping assembly 3132 b with inlet pipe 3112 b and coupling afirst outlet piping assembly 3142 b with outlet pipe 3114 b to provide afirst portable piping structure 3152 b of a plurality of portable pipingstructures 3160 b. First inlet piping assembly 3132 b can define acentral longitudinal axis 3133 b, and first outlet piping assembly 3142b can define a central longitudinal axis 3143 b. Central longitudinalaxis 3133 b and central longitudinal axis 3143 b are separated by adistance of D₁. Similarly, embodiments may include coupling a secondinlet piping assembly 3172 b with inlet pipe 3122 b and coupling a firstoutlet piping assembly 3182 b with outlet pipe 3124 b to provide asecond portable piping structure 3154 b of the plurality of portablepiping structures 3160 b. Second inlet piping assembly 3172 b can definea central longitudinal axis 3173 b, and second outlet piping assembly3182 b can define a central longitudinal axis 3183 b. Centrallongitudinal axis 3173 b and central longitudinal axis 3183 b areseparated by a distance of D₂. In some embodiments, distance D₁ is equalto distance D₂. It is appreciated that first portable piping structure3152 b and second portable piping structure 3154 b can each include acoil or heat exchanger, such that the respective coils or heatexchangers are of different sizes or dimensions. Hence, embodiments ofthe present invention encompass a plurality of portable pipingstructures, where coil or heat exchanger dimensions may vary among theportable piping structures, while the distance between inlet and outletpipes, between inlet and outlet piping assemblies, or between centrallongitudinal axes defined by the pipes or piping assemblies are equal orotherwise standardized for mass production.

FIG. 31C shows a plurality of portable piping structures according toembodiments of the present invention. Methods for making pipingstructures may include coupling a first inlet piping assembly 3132 cwith inlet pipe 3112 c and coupling a first outlet piping assembly 3142c with outlet pipe 3114 c to provide a first portable piping structure3152 c of a plurality of portable piping structures 3160 c. First inletpiping assembly 3132 c can define a central longitudinal axis 3133 c,and first outlet piping assembly 3142 c can define a centrallongitudinal axis 3143 c. Central longitudinal axis 3133 c and centrallongitudinal axis 3143 c are separated by a distance of D₁. Similarly,embodiments may include coupling a second inlet piping assembly 3172 cwith inlet pipe 3122 c and coupling a first outlet piping assembly 3182c with outlet pipe 3124 c to provide a second portable piping structure3154 c of the plurality of portable piping structures 3160 c. Secondinlet piping assembly 3172 c can define a central longitudinal axis 3173c, and second outlet piping assembly 3182 c can define a centrallongitudinal axis 3183 c. Central longitudinal axis 3173 c and centrallongitudinal axis 3183 c are separated by a distance of D₂. In someembodiments, distance D₁ is equal to distance D₂. As shown here, firstportable piping structure 3152 c may be coupled with or include a firstbracket 3191 c having a first support 3193 c and a second support 3195c. First bracket 3191 c can be coupled with a duct or casing 3197 c.First support 3193 c can be coupled with first inlet piping assembly3132 c, and second support 3195 c can be coupled with first outletpiping assembly 3142 c. Similarly, second portable piping structure 3154c may be coupled with or include a second bracket 3192 c having a firstsupport 3194 c and a second support 3196 c. Second bracket 3192 c can becoupled with a duct or casing 3198 c. First support 3194 c can becoupled with second inlet piping assembly 3172 c, and second support3196 c can be coupled with second outlet piping assembly 3182 c.

FIG. 31D shows a plurality of portable piping structures according toembodiments of the present invention. Methods for making pipingstructures may include coupling a first inlet piping assembly 3132 dwith inlet pipe 3112 d and coupling a first outlet piping assembly 3142d with outlet pipe 3114 d to provide a first portable piping structure3152 d of a plurality of portable piping structures 3160 d. First inletpiping assembly 3132 d can define a central longitudinal axis 3133 d,and first outlet piping assembly 3142 d can define a centrallongitudinal axis 3143 d. Central longitudinal axis 3133 d and centrallongitudinal axis 3143 d are separated by a distance of D₁. Similarly,embodiments may include coupling a second inlet piping assembly 3172 dwith inlet pipe 3122 d and coupling a first outlet piping assembly 3182d with outlet pipe 3124 d to provide a second portable piping structure3154 d of the plurality of portable piping structures 3160 d. Secondinlet piping assembly 3172 d can define a central longitudinal axis 3173d, and second outlet piping assembly 3182 d can define a centrallongitudinal axis 3183 d. Central longitudinal axis 3173 d and centrallongitudinal axis 3183 d are separated by a distance of D₂. In someembodiments, distance D₁ is equal to distance D₂. As shown here, firstportable piping structure 3152 d may be coupled with or include a firstbracket 3191 d having a first support 3193 d and a second support 3195d. First bracket 3191 d can be coupled with a duct or casing 3197 d.First support 3193 d can be coupled with inlet pipe 3112 d, and secondsupport 3195 d can be coupled with outlet pipe 3114 d. Similarly, secondportable piping structure 3154 d may be coupled with or include a secondbracket 3192 d having a first support 3194 d and a second support 3196d. Second bracket 3192 d can be coupled with a duct or casing 3198 d.First support 3194 d can be coupled with second inlet pipe 3122 d, andsecond support 3196 d can be coupled with second outlet pipe 3124 d.

FIG. 31E shows a plurality of portable piping structures according toembodiments of the present invention. Methods for making pipingstructures may include coupling a first inlet piping assembly 3132 ewith inlet pipe 3112 e and coupling a first outlet piping assembly 3142e with outlet pipe 3114 e to provide a first portable piping structure3152 e of a plurality of portable piping structures 3160 e. First inletpiping assembly 3132 e can define a central longitudinal axis 3133 e,and first outlet piping assembly 3142 e can define a centrallongitudinal axis 3143 e. Central longitudinal axis 3133 e and centrallongitudinal axis 3143 e are separated by a distance of D₁. Similarly,embodiments may include coupling a second inlet piping assembly 3172 ewith inlet pipe 3122 e and coupling a first outlet piping assembly 3182e with outlet pipe 3124 e to provide a second portable piping structure3154 e of the plurality of portable piping structures 3160 e. Secondinlet piping assembly 3172 e can define a central longitudinal axis 3173e, and second outlet piping assembly 3182 e can define a centrallongitudinal axis 3183 e. Central longitudinal axis 3173 e and centrallongitudinal axis 3183 e are separated by a distance of D₂. In someembodiments, distance D₁ is equal to distance D₂. As shown here, firstportable piping structure 3152 e may be coupled with or include a firstbracket 3191 e having a first support 3193 e and a second support 3195e. First bracket 3191 e can be coupled with a duct or casing 3197 e.First support 3193 e can be coupled with first inlet cap, fitting, orpiping 3103 e, and second support 3195 e can be coupled with firstoutlet cap, fitting, or piping 3105 e. Similarly, second portable pipingstructure 3154 e may be coupled with or include a second bracket 3192 ehaving a first support 3194 e and a second support 3196 e. Secondbracket 3192 e can be coupled with a duct or casing 3198 e. Firstsupport 3194 e can be coupled with second inlet cap, fitting, or piping3104 e, and second support 3196 e can be coupled with second outlet cap,fitting, or piping 3106 e.

Advantageously, the brackets illustrated in FIGS. 31C-E are well suitedfor providing any desired spacing between components to which they areattached or coupled, according to the principles shown in FIGS. 31A-B.Furthermore, any of a variety of ancillary components or subassembliesthereof can be mounted on or coupled with a bracket, a casing or duct,or a coil or heat exchanger. By utilizing such efficient manufacturingmethods, it is possible for one union pipe fitter manufacture 30 to 60portable piping structure units per hour. In contrast, many commonlyused manufacturing methods require two union pipe fitters a total ofeight hours to pipe up a small stand alone heat exchanger/fluid coiland/or VAV box with hot water re-heat. By prefabricating the units withmanufacturing procedure embodiments of the present invention, it ispossible to realize real economic efficiencies. Often, such portablepiping assemblies or structures are sealed and pressurized prior toshipping to a job site, where they can be installed as part of a largerHVAC system of a building. Moreover, it is possible to install valvesand electronic components for BTUH monitoring. This can provide abuilding owner or operator with any of a variety of programming optionsto monitor and optimize the total system for energy usage, LEED points,utility rebates, indoor air quality (IAQ), comfort, and the like. Also,the entire unit, or any desired portion or component thereof, can beinsulated prior to shipping to a construction site, a customer, or asecondary manufacturing facility. According to some methods, it ispossible to transport a stand alone coil, without a full or partialcomplement of zone control unit components, to a job site, an airhandler manufacturer, an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), or anymanufacturer or vendor of HVAC or heating, ventilation, air conditioningand refrigeration (HVACR) systems, components, or controls. For example,embodiments may include shipping a coil and ancillary components to avariable air volume (VAV) box manufacturer. By providing a plurality ofcoils or heat exchangers having various sizes, which are configured withinlet and outlet pipes separated by a standard distance or fixed aspectratio, the manufacturing process can be facilitated quickly, andinstallation is efficient. A zone control unit or coil can bepre-programmed, pre-tested, insulated, validated, and certified at amanufacturing facility or factory. The product can be LEED certified,for example as part of a GREEN program.

Hence, embodiments of the present invention encompass portable pipingstructure designs having fixed or standardized dimensions or spacingconfigurations for the inlet and outlet portions, or for assembliescoupled therewith, of the coil or heat exchanger. The dimension orspacing configuration may be fixed or standardized regardless of thesize of the coil or heat exchanger. In some cases, on an end portion ofa copper tube of the coil it is possible to sweat in or include afitting. It is also possible to thread in a valve body to the fitting onthe coil. On another side of the valve body it is possible to thread ina sealed copper air chamber. From a manufacturing process, in someembodiments it may only be necessary to add one fitting to a sealedcopper air chamber, and then assemble the valve body to the air chamberpiece and the coil. In some cases, piping on a zone control unit may becondensed to a coil body only. According to some of these embodiments,but not exclusively, it is possible to ship such coil configurations toa manufacturer for use in their product.

Embodiments of the present invention also provide universal coils thatcan be used as a right hand or left hand connection, thus eliminatingthe need for stocking multiple coil configurations. For example, a coilor heat exchanger may include a ¼ inch tap or thread on both sides ofthe top and bottom header to make a universal coil. By using a screw intype device the coil can have a universal air vent for a top position ora universal drain plug for a bottom or down position. As shown in FIG.31F, regardless of which side is facing upward, it is possible to screwin or otherwise couple an air vent 3110 f on a higher side of the coil3115 f at the tap or thread, and screw in or otherwise couple a draincock 3120 f on a lower side of the coil 3115 f at the tap or thread.This configuration may require only one elbow and fitting on each supplyand return line, and can be mounted directly on a coil. The coil casingcan be increased to an optimum size to allow piping components, controlshardware, and the like to be installed directly on the coil casing. Thusthe coil and the piping components become universal and capable of beinginstalled on or in any product or duct work.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, a coil casingcan be made with various universal transitions out of various types ofmaterials, thus providing a universal installation kit of the coils. Asdepicted in FIG. 32, a coil or heat exchanger 3200 can be coupled with atransition casing 3210 where a first portion 3212 of the transitioncasing provides a larger surface area than a second portion 3214 of thetransition casing. Such tapered casing configurations can provide soundattenuation to an HVAC system, and can provide a more uniform airmovement over the coil with less turbulence when compared to someconfigurations that do not have a tapered transition casing or duct. Theincorporation of a transition casing allows a VAV box or duct toaccommodate larger coils having more face or surface area. Consequently,the number of rows in a coil can be reduced. For example, byincorporating a transition casing it may be possible to replace a tworow coil with a one row coil. Moreover, larger coils having more face orsurface area can confer a lower water pressure drop or a lower airpressure drop. Such systems typically use less energy and provide betterperformance due to reduced fluid resistance, for example. Hence, lowerpower air fans and water pumps can be used. A transition casing can makea portable piping structure quieter and can provide improved heattransfer as air flows over the entire coil and eliminates or reducesspotting of the coil where uneven thermal transfer occurs. Suchconfigurations can qualify for LEED points. In one exemplary embodiment,it is possible to use a universal transition for a 20 inch duct or for a6 inch duct. Because a tapered transition casing may utilize morematerial, such as sheet metal, discharge noise can be reduced.

A stand alone coil can be used as an economical and energy efficientretrofit coil application, that is pre-piped, pre-wired, and ready toplug and play. A low profile unit (for example a smaller pre-piped coilwith smaller dimensions) can be created by the stand alone heatexchanger/coil and allows an engineer, architect, or contractor moreroom to design and work on the construction site. The product can shippre-balanced and pre-programmed, thus eliminating or reducing costlyunion field labor. The product can be a pre-sealed, zero leakage boxthus saving more energy. A leaving air discharge sensor can be installedon the heat exchanger, wired into the controls hardware, andpre-calibrated at the factory. A green/LEED box can be produced withthese enhancements, at an economical cost. A coil casing can be made asa flanged connection, as compared to a slip and drive connection, whichcan help eliminate or reduce leaks. The product can be overengineered inorder to meet 95% or more of all building specifications, and then massproduced. For example, a plurality of portable piping structures can bemanufactured which can be incorporated into HVAC systems of a vastmajority of residential, commercial, or industrial applications. All ormany of the piping coil components can be interchangeable on a building,regardless of the coil size, due to the universality provided byembodiments of the present invention. In contrast, in many currentmethods a contractor will not overengineer a piping assembly at theconstruction job site, but rather will cobble together the cheapestcollection of components.

Typically, thermal transfer units and/or coils are manufactured foreither heating or cooling applications. That is, one coil is used forheating, and another coil is used for cooling. According to embodimentsof the present invention, one coil is manufactured to do both theheating and cooling. For example, a four way mixing valve can be used ona coil to mix the fluid medium from 42 degrees F. up to 200 degrees F.to optimize the leaving air temperature and ancillary parameters off thecoil. The valve may include an input for receiving cold fluid from achiller and an input for receiving warm fluid from a boiler. Cold andwarm fluid may be mixed and then transferred into a coil. The variouselectronic devices embedded on the coil can maintain and monitor theperformance parameters off the coil commensurate to what is needed ordesired in the occupied space or zone. Such configurations may includeone hot inlet into the valve, and one cold inlet into the valve. Mixingis accomplished at the valve, and the mixed fluid then travels to thecoil, and then to a single outlet, for example. Another configurationinclude two inlets and two outlets on a coil. A first inlet and outletcan be used for cooling and a second inlet and outlet can be used forheating.

Often, as the size of the coil increases, so does the size of thepiping. As the face or surface area of the coil increases, more pipingmay be needed or desired for manufacturing the piping and valvecomponents. A duct, casing, or support structure can have a fixeddimension (e.g. width, length, or height) which is about 3 to 5 timeslarger than the pipe diameter. The coils can be assembled, attached to,located in or on another assembly, such as a VAV box, AHU, duct work,fan, and the like. Hence, a portable piping structure may include a ductor casing having a standard or pre-selected length, width, and/orheight. According to some embodiments, it is possible to manufacture aplurality of such portable piping structures, where a first portablepiping structure includes a coil having a first size or dimension, and asecond portable piping structure includes a coil having a differentsecond size or dimension, and the first and second portable pipingstructures are each coupled with respective ducts or casings havingsimilar or standardized configurations.

Various bracketing systems can be used to connect a portable pipingstructure or coil with a casing or ancillary components, so as to ensurelittle or no damage to the components during shipment. A duct, casing,square box, or can, optionally including rubber grommets, can be used asa fastening device, handle, or bracket. According to some embodiments, aduct, casing, or other container may include supports for coupling withcoils, heat exchangers, pipes, piping assemblies, caps or fittings, andthe like. For example, a portable piping unit may include a coilattached with a duct, such that one or more apertures or supportsdefined by the duct are coupled with one or more portions of the coil.Ducts or brackets according to similar embodiments may include handlesas depicted in FIGS. 28A-28C.

Psychrometry is a field of engineering concerned with the determinationof physical and thermodynamic properties of gas-vapor mixtures.Advantageously, embodiments of the present invention can incorporatepsychrometric principles to provide ambient comfort to one or morebuilding occupants. For example, a psychrometric ratio can relate theabsolute humidity and saturation humidity to the difference between thedry bulb temperature and the adiabatic saturation temperature. Apsychrometric chart can be a graph of the physical properties of moistair at a constant pressure. Psychrometric variables or thermophysicalproperties such as dry-bulb temperature (DBT), wet-bulb temperature(WBT), dew point temperature (DPT), relative Humidity (RH), humidityratio (e.g moisture content, mixing ratio, or specific humidity),specific enthalpy, specific volume, and the like can be programmed intoa processor or controller of a zone control unit, heat exchanger, coil,or other HVAC component. Algorithms can be based on psychrometricvariables to obtain a comfortable ambient room environment for abuilding occupant. Coil or heat exchanger properties can be selectedbased on psychrometric data.

Embodiments of the present invention provide temperature reset valve foruse with portable piping structures. By using a temperature reset, aleaving air sensor and entering air sensor along with a BTUH monitoringand/or inlet and outlet water temperature sensor disposed at or near thecoil, it is possible to control the performance of the coil by adjustingthe cfm over the coil, and the entering/leaving heat transfer mediumthrough the coil and the building. Further, it is possible toincorporate data or information from a psychrometric chart into themicroprocessor controller located on the coil or ZCU, optionally by wayof written or encoded software. For example, a controller or processormay include a tangible medium embodying machine-readable code that isconfigured to process information based on a psychrometric chart, anddata such as thermal transfer characteristics/properties of a thermaltransfer device/coil, airflow across the coil, the heat transfer medium(water, for example) in and out of the coil, and the leaving airparameters off the coil such as temperature, cfm, humidity, and thelike. Software or other programming can be configured to control thetemperature of the fluid or water entering and leaving the coil, and thecfm across the coil to meet or optimize psychrometric chart parametersrelative to the current conditions. The end result can be real time 100%indoor air quality, a real time totally self balancing system, and areal time energy efficient system qualifying for GREEN/LEED points.Also, by monitoring these parameters it is possible to do real time BTUHmonitoring and optimize the HVAC system accordingly and let the buildingowner or any other interested party know exactly where they need tooptimize their equipment for the biggest energy savings/IAQ benefit.Advantageously, by using a temperature reset along with psychrometricchart data, it is possible to pre-fabricate a portable piping structurewith ancillary components such as sensors and the like, and alsoeliminate the need for a balancing valve at the coil. Hence, suchconfigurations can be manufactured using less raw materials andinstallation labor, which provides improved economic efficiencies.Moreover, the overall pressure drop in the piping system can go downresulting in the use of smaller pipe and valves and/or reduced energyconsumption by the HVAC equipment, including pumps, boilers, fans,chillers, and the like. Accordingly, there are significant benefitswhich can be realized by pre-piping or pre-fabricating suchconfigurations, and testing such configurations on a coil or zonecontrol unit.

By incorporating a temperature reset, it is possible to eliminate abalancing valve at the device. The gpm to a coil can be controlledthrough a temperature reset. No balancing valves may be required at thedevice, and thus energy savings are possible. The performance of thesystem can be controlled by the building automation system (BAS). Thesystem can be self balancing. Such configurations are very conducive toproviding and stocking a standardized product such as a zone controlunit.

Embodiments of the present invention may incorporate components fromFlowCon International which involve total authority technology, orsimilar components such as DeltaPValves from Flow Control Industries.Such components may combine a control valve and a flow limiting valvewith a pressure equalizer. The combination valves can neutralize theeffect of variable pressure in the system and return the authority tothe control valve, thermostat, and coil. Some initial models such as SH(manual) and SM (actuated) have been supplemented by the SME model. Whenthe valve stem closes or opens it can allow the valve to adjust flow.The pressure regulator can instantaneously equalize the pressure andafford the control valve to precisely modulate as dictated by thethermostat and BMS system. The outcome can be a highly accurate flowcontrol. Set points can be attained precisely and quickly as the controlvalve is not “hunting” which is caused by fluctuating pressure. Thepressure regulator reacts to the slightest change in flow. The flowlimiter insures the coil does not receive more than the design flow. ATotal Authority Valve can be ideally suited for a variable flow systemused in a current system. Variable flow systems are often constantlychanging flow rates resulting in demands on the pressure regulator toequalize pressure across the valve and coil. A Total Authority Valveused in an On/Off application can equalize flow from initial opening ofthe control valve portion through the total open position. Then onceagain, from open to totally closed. The SME model can be specificallytargeted to provide a high level of efficiency to variable flows foundin VAV, modulating or variable flow rates, for example in fan coils,water source heat pumps, zone control units, and any small coilapplications. A “pop-top” type Flow Con actuator for an SME may allowaffordability whereas the SH and SM may cost more. According toembodiments of the present invention, configurations may exceed many orall balancing valve specifications and be conducive to stocking zonecontrol units for fast track business. In some cases, there may beretrofit/ESCO opportunities for Total Authority approaches. TotalAuthority Valves can have precise control to allow systems to bedesigned with less equipment, or in retrofit situations, cutting back onhow much capacity is required to heat and cool. Such accuracy can allowfor an accurate Delta-T system design. More capacity in the same systemcan be achieved with a higher Delta-T, and less capacity and lower flowrates can equate to fewer GPM to cool and heat.

Embodiments of the present invention may incorporate dynamic balancingcomponents from Griswold with FlowCon's adjustable P.I. cartridge in thePIC valve. This type of valve may not have the combination all in oneSME type valve. Relatedly, Belimo is of similar design and both arepressure independent. Embodiments may also incorporate components fromDelta Control Products, now Bray, which may use the FlowCon E-justcartridge to package a combination control, flow limiter, and pressureregulator. Embodiments may also incorporate static balancing devices,which may have no pressure regulation capability. These componentstypically limit flow only and do so when a minimum DeltaP has beenreached up to a maximum DeltaP. Manufacturers of this type of flowlimiting device include FDI, Nexus, Hays, and Griswold stainless steelcartridges with pressure regulation. Embodiments of the presentinvention may also incorporate manual valves available from companiessuch as Nibco, B & G, T & A, Griswold, HCI and others. These companiesprovide manual balancing valves often referred to as “circuit setters”which are a type of balancing valve that involves manual balancing. Whenbalancing a system, once a valve is set and the next set, the precedingvalve(s) are revisited to adjust the settings again. This is due to thefact that a manual valve involves an adjustable orifice, not a flowcontroller. Once pressure changes in the system after initial setting,the flow rate changes also. Such devices typically limit flow when thesystem is operating at the exact same level as when it was originallyset up. In most systems that typically does not happen because ofvariable speed pumps and drives. Static, dynamic, and automaticbalancing (e.g. Total Authority) valves often require at least 50% lesscost in balancing/commissioning as the manual valve. Once set, they maybe set forever if no changes have to be made to the flow and system.These types of valves allow for 20 to 30% fewer balancing valves on aproject thus reducing static pressure in the system as a whole. Energyconsumption over the manual system may be considerable and aconsideration in applying these valves. Generally speaking, a 20%savings can be claimed with static and dynamic and potentially largersavings with Total Authority Valves.

Although the present invention has been described in terms of thepresently preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that suchdisclosure is purely illustrative and is not to be interpreted aslimiting. Consequently, without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention, various alterations, modifications, and/or alternativeapplications of the invention will, no doubt, be suggested to thoseskilled in the art after having read the preceding disclosure.Accordingly, it is intended that the following claims be interpreted asencompassing all alterations, modifications, or alternative applicationsas fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

1. A zone-control unit for use in a heating, ventilation, and airconditioning (HVAC) system, the zone-control unit comprising: a heatexchanger; an inlet piping assembly coupled with the heat exchanger forsupplying fluid to the heat exchanger; an outlet piping assembly coupledwith the heat exchanger for receiving fluid from the heat exchanger; abracket that maintains the inlet piping assembly and the outlet pipingassembly in positional relationship; and an ancillary component coupledwith the heat exchanger or the bracket.
 2. The zone-control unitaccording to claim 1, wherein the ancillary component comprises a memberselected from the group consisting of a direct digital control (DDC)controller, an fluid flow sensor, an fluid pressure sensor, and a fluidtemperature sensor.
 3. The zone-control unit according to claim 1,wherein the ancillary component is coupled with the heat exchanger. 4.The zone-control unit according to claim 1, wherein the ancillarycomponent is coupled with the bracket.
 5. The zone-control unitaccording to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger, the inlet piping, andthe outlet piping form a closed, sealed, and insulated system.
 6. Thezone-control unit according to claim 5, wherein the heat exchanger, theinlet piping, and the outlet piping contain a pressurized fluid.
 7. Azone-control unit for use in a heating, ventilation, and airconditioning (HVAC) system, the zone-control unit comprising: a casing;a coil disposed at least partially within the casing; an inlet pipingassembly coupled with the coil for supplying fluid to the coil; anoutlet piping assembly coupled with the coil for receiving fluid fromthe coil; a bracket that maintains the casing, the inlet pipingassembly, and the outlet piping assembly in positional relationship; andan ancillary component coupled with the coil, the bracket, or thecasing.
 8. The zone-control unit according to claim 7, wherein theancillary component comprises a member selected from the groupconsisting of a direct digital control (DDC) controller, an air flowsensor, an air pressure sensor, a leaving air temperature sensor, awater flow sensor, a water pressure sensor, a BTU monitoring sensor, anda humidity sensor.
 9. The zone-control unit according to claim 7,wherein the ancillary component is coupled with the coil.
 10. Thezone-control unit according to claim 7, wherein the ancillary componentis coupled with the bracket.
 11. The zone-control unit according toclaim 7, wherein the ancillary component is coupled with the casing. 12.The zone-control unit according to claim 7, wherein the coil, the inletpiping, and the outlet piping form a closed and sealed system.
 13. Thezone-control unit according to claim 7, wherein the coil, the inletpiping, and the outlet piping contain a pressurized fluid.
 14. A methodof manufacturing a plurality of portable piping structures, comprising:providing a first heat exchange coil having a first dimension; providinga second heat exchange coil having a second dimension; coupling a firstinlet piping assembly and a first outlet piping assembly with the firstheat exchange coil to provide a first portable piping structure of theplurality of portable piping structures; coupling a second inlet pipingassembly and a second outlet piping assembly with the second heatexchange coil to provide a second portable piping structure of theplurality of portable piping structures; coupling a first bracket withthe first inlet piping assembly and the first outlet piping assembly,wherein the first bracket provides a known spacing distance between acentral longitudinal axis defined by the first inlet piping assembly anda central longitudinal axis defined by the first outlet piping assembly;and coupling a second bracket with the second inlet piping assembly andthe second outlet piping assembly, wherein the second bracket providesthe known spacing distance between a central longitudinal axis definedby the second inlet piping assembly and a central longitudinal axisdefined by the second outlet piping assembly.
 15. The method accordingto claim 14, further comprising coupling a first ancillary componentwith the first heat exchange coil of the first portable pipingstructure, and coupling a second ancillary component with the secondheat exchange coil of the second portable piping structure.
 16. Themethod according to claim 15, wherein the first ancillary componentcomprises a first direct digital control (DDC) controller and the secondancillary component comprises a second direct digital control (DDC)controller.
 17. The method according to claim 14, further comprisingcoupling a first ancillary component with the first bracket, andcoupling a second ancillary component with the second bracket.
 18. Themethod according to claim 14, further comprising coupling a firstancillary component with the first inlet piping assembly, and coupling asecond ancillary component with the second inlet piping assembly. 19.The method according to claim 14, further comprising coupling a firstancillary component with the first outlet piping assembly, and couplinga second ancillary component with the second outlet piping assembly. 20.The method according to claim 14, further comprising sealing the firstinlet piping assembly and the first outlet piping assembly such that thefirst portable piping structure comprises a sealed and closed system,and sealing the second inlet piping assembly and the second outletpiping assembly such that the second portable piping structure comprisesa sealed and closed system.